Few things feel quite as strange as dropping NieR: Automata into the blood-soaked nightmare of Dead by Daylight, yet that's exactly where Behavior Interactive is heading next. The Fog is about to welcome a new collection inspired by the acclaimed sci-fi RPG series, bringing its distinctive aesthetic to the long-running horror game. It's an unexpected pairing, or maybe not for NieR fans.
That's because NieR seems to collaborate with anything and everything. Call of Duty: Mobile, Soul Calibur VI, Goddess of Victory: Nikke, Overwatch, Azur Lane. The list goes on. In fact, NieR has teamed up with well over 20 titles, from free mobile games to triple-A experiences. So maybe it was only a matter of time before Dead by Daylight came along.
The announcement follows a mysterious teaser that sent NieR fans into detective mode, with players quickly spotting similarities to the franchise's distinctive visual style and piecing it together. Now, there's no need to decode anything: Behavior confirms that the NieR: Automata collection arrives on October 6, 2026.
Well, what can you expect? Behavior is still keeping the greater details under wraps. The teaser notes that this is a collection, rather than a full-on traditional Dead by Daylight chapter. If you're wondering which NieR characters could make the jump, 2B stands out as the obvious candidate.
The android has become a crossover star since NieR: Automata launched; just revisit that short list I wrote above. Other popular options include 9S and A2, who could also fit neatly into a Dead by Daylight collection. Elsewhere, the recent roadmap shows A1 and 2B together, so a 9S skin may be less likely.
Behavior has already shown how far it can take these cosmetic collaborations. From Resident Evil, Stranger Things, Alien, Rainbow Six, to Tomb Raider, there's no telling what the studio is cooking up. At this point, it's on the same level as Fortnite when it comes to throwing things at the wall to see if they stick.
Whether the NieR collaboration sticks around is another question, though. Dead by Daylight has seen licenses expire several times over the years. While there's a lot of legal red tape between developers, publishers, and license holders, perhaps it'll be a smoother tale for NieR.
Either way, we don't have to wait long to see what NieR's latest team-up includes. In the meantime, put together a squad of survivors over on the Pocket Tactics Discord server.