The End of an Era for Dead by Daylight
Behaviour Interactive confirmed on December 14, 2025, that Dead by Daylight’s Halloween chapter will be delisted from all platform stores on January 19, 2026, at 11:00 AM ET. Michael Myers (known in-game as The Shape) and survivor Laurie Strode will no longer be unlockable after that date. More painfully for longtime players, the Haddonfield map is being completely removed from the game’s map pool, taking with it nearly a decade of memories, jumpscares, and intense chases through suburban streets.
This marks the end of Dead by Daylight’s very first licensed collaboration. The Halloween chapter launched in October 2016, bringing John Carpenter’s iconic slasher to the asymmetric horror game just months after its initial release. Michael Myers became one of the most recognizable killers in the entire roster, and Haddonfield became synonymous with tense suburban horror. Now both are leaving, likely forever.
Players who already own the Halloween DLC or purchase it before January 19 will keep access to The Shape and Laurie Strode permanently. Their cosmetics and perks remain functional. But the Haddonfield map disappears for everyone, regardless of ownership. That’s a massive loss for a map that, despite complaints about balance, represented a crucial piece of Dead by Daylight’s identity and horror gaming history.
Last Chance Sale and What You Keep
Behaviour Interactive is running a final sale from December 18 to January 18, 2026, giving players one last opportunity to grab the Halloween content at reduced prices. The Halloween chapter DLC itself will be discounted across all platforms including Steam, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch. Associated cosmetics for both The Shape and Laurie Strode are also being marked down.
If you purchase the content before the deadline, you permanently keep The Shape as a playable killer and Laurie Strode as a survivor. Their unique perks remain in your loadout. Any cosmetics you unlock stay accessible. The only thing you lose alongside everyone else is the Haddonfield map, which is being pulled from the rotation entirely on January 19.
The Strode Realty Key, an offering that let players increase the chances of being sent to Haddonfield, will also be retired and removed from the Bloodweb. Any keys currently in player inventories will presumably become unusable once the map is gone, though Behaviour hasn’t explicitly confirmed whether they’ll be converted to bloodpoints or simply deleted.
What Stays and What Goes
- The Shape (Michael Myers) – Stays if purchased before January 19, unavailable to new players after
- Laurie Strode – Stays if purchased before January 19, unavailable to new players after
- All Halloween cosmetics – Stay if purchased before January 19
- Character perks – Remain functional for owners
- Haddonfield map – Completely removed for all players on January 19
- Strode Realty Key offering – Retired and removed from Bloodweb
- Halloween DLC – Delisted from all stores on January 19
Why Is This Happening
Behaviour Interactive hasn’t provided explicit reasons for the license expiration, but the timing is extremely suspicious. Boss Team Games announced in August 2024 that they’re developing a new Halloween game in Unreal Engine 5 with direct involvement from John Carpenter himself. The license holders likely chose not to renew Dead by Daylight’s contract or demanded pricing that made it unprofitable to continue.
This mirrors what happened with other licensed content in the game. The Stranger Things chapter was removed in November 2021 when that license expired, though it eventually returned after Netflix and Behaviour renegotiated. Pinhead from Hellraiser left in April 2025 after three years in the game. Licenses expire, companies decide exclusivity serves their interests better than broad availability, and players lose access to content they love.
The new Halloween game being developed by Boss Team Games is the same studio behind The Texas Chain Saw Massacre game, which received mixed reception. Some Reddit users speculated that pulling Myers from the most popular asymmetric horror game to funnel players toward a new exclusive title is a calculated business decision, though it risks backfiring if the new game fails to deliver.
The Haddonfield Controversy
Haddonfield has been one of Dead by Daylight’s most controversial maps since launch. The original version was notoriously survivor-sided, featuring powerful window loops, an excessive number of safe pallets, and houses that created nearly infinite chase scenarios for skilled survivors. Killers dreaded seeing the map load, knowing they were in for a miserable match unless the survivors made major mistakes.
Behaviour reworked Haddonfield significantly in subsequent updates, downsizing the map, removing problematic loops, and trying to balance the overwhelming survivor advantage. The redesign angered longtime survivors who felt their favorite map got gutted while frustrating killers who argued it remained too strong. You couldn’t win either way, but at least the map was iconic and captured the Halloween aesthetic perfectly.
Interestingly, Haddonfield is the only non-indoor map in Dead by Daylight that doesn’t feature the standard killer shack structure. Early development footage showed a shack was planned for the map, but it was removed, possibly at the request of Halloween license holders who didn’t want that generic Dead by Daylight structure spoiling the authentic suburban neighborhood aesthetic. That attention to maintaining the Halloween franchise’s identity made Haddonfield special, even when it was frustrating to play on.
Michael Myers’ Legacy in Dead by Daylight
Michael Myers wasn’t just the first licensed killer in Dead by Daylight. He helped legitimize the game as a platform for horror crossovers. His inclusion showed that major horror franchises were willing to lend their properties to this weird indie asymmetric multiplayer game from a relatively unknown studio. That opened the door for Leatherface, Freddy Krueger, Amanda Young, Ghost Face, Pyramid Head, Nemesis, Pinhead, Sadako, and countless other horror icons.
The Shape’s gameplay design captured Michael Myers perfectly. His power, Evil Within, let him start weak and stalk survivors to build power, eventually reaching a state where he could instantly down survivors with terrifying efficiency. The mechanic of building menace through observation before explosive violence embodied exactly what makes Myers frightening in the films. He wasn’t the strongest killer competitively, especially before recent updates, but he was thematically perfect.
Recent updates to The Shape attempted to modernize his kit and make him more viable at higher skill levels. The rework drew mixed reactions, with some players loving the enhanced lethality while others felt it betrayed the patient stalking gameplay that made him unique. Now players have just over a month to form their final opinions before new players lose access to him entirely.
What This Means for Dead by Daylight’s Future
The Halloween chapter’s removal raises uncomfortable questions about Dead by Daylight’s long-term viability. If licenses can expire and take beloved characters with them, how secure is any licensed content? Players who invested time mastering The Shape or Laurie, who bought cosmetics, who built loadouts around their perks, now face losing access if they didn’t purchase the DLC before January 19.
Behaviour’s business model increasingly relies on licensed horror content to drive engagement and sales. Original killers like The Dredge and The Knight are fine, but licensed killers from major franchises generate way more hype and revenue. If those licenses keep expiring and pulling content from the game, it damages player trust and makes people hesitant to invest in future DLC.
The Stranger Things content did eventually return after negotiations, giving hope that Michael Myers might someday come back. But there’s no guarantee, and players shouldn’t count on it. If the new Halloween game succeeds and Boss Team Games wants to maintain exclusivity for their property, Myers could be gone permanently. That’s the risk with building a game on licensed properties you don’t own.
Frequently Asked Questions
When exactly is the Halloween chapter being removed?
January 19, 2026, at 11:00 AM Eastern Time. After this date, the Halloween DLC will no longer be available for purchase on any platform, and the characters cannot be unlocked in-game.
Will I lose Michael Myers if I already own him?
No. If you currently own The Shape and Laurie Strode, or if you purchase them before January 19, you keep them permanently. Only new players who don’t buy the DLC before the deadline will be unable to access these characters.
What happens to the Haddonfield map?
The Haddonfield map is being completely removed from Dead by Daylight for all players on January 19, 2026. This affects everyone regardless of whether they own the Halloween DLC. The map will no longer appear in the rotation.
When does the sale start?
The last chance sale begins December 18, 2025, and runs through January 18, 2026. Both the Halloween chapter DLC and associated cosmetics will be available at reduced prices during this period across all platforms.
Why is this happening?
Behaviour Interactive hasn’t given an official reason, but licensing agreements expire and need renewal. Given that Boss Team Games is developing a new Halloween game with John Carpenter’s involvement, the license holders likely chose not to renew Dead by Daylight’s contract.
Could Michael Myers come back later?
Possibly. The Stranger Things content was removed in 2021 but eventually returned after new negotiations between Behaviour and Netflix. However, there’s no guarantee the same will happen with Halloween, especially if the new game seeks exclusivity.
What happens to the Strode Realty Key?
The Strode Realty Key offering, which increased the chances of being sent to Haddonfield, will be retired and removed from the Bloodweb on January 19. Existing keys in player inventories will presumably become unusable once the map is removed.
Will the perks still work?
Yes. If you own The Shape or Laurie Strode, their unique perks remain functional and usable on other characters if you’ve unlocked them in the Shrine of Secrets or through prestige levels. The perks don’t disappear with the map.
One Last Halloween
Dead by Daylight players have just over a month to experience Michael Myers and Haddonfield before they’re gone. For nearly a decade, The Shape stalked survivors through fog-shrouded realms, building Evil Within until that terrifying moment when the heartbeat intensified and he started moving at full speed. Haddonfield hosted countless chases through suburban homes, over fences, and around cars parked in driveways.
If you’ve been on the fence about buying the Halloween chapter, now is the time. Waiting means losing access to one of horror gaming’s most iconic characters forever, or at least until licensing situations change in unpredictable ways. The December 18 sale gives you a discounted final opportunity to grab The Shape, Laurie, and their cosmetics before the door closes.
For players who already own the content, these next few weeks are about closure. Play as Michael Myers. Chase survivors through Haddonfield one last time. Appreciate the jump scares, the tense moments, and the perfect recreation of Halloween’s atmosphere that’s been part of Dead by Daylight since almost the beginning. Take screenshots. Make memories. Because come January 19, that particular version of horror gaming history becomes inaccessible to anyone who missed it.
Michael Myers may be leaving Dead by Daylight, but the impact he had on the game’s success and identity remains permanent. He proved that horror icons could thrive in this format. He brought legitimacy and mainstream attention to an experimental indie game. And for nine years, he gave millions of players the experience of being hunted by one of cinema’s most terrifying killers. That legacy doesn’t disappear just because the license expired. See you in the fog, Shape. Thanks for the nightmares.