Dead by Daylight hits new player peak on Steam, as Twisted Masquerade returns

Dead by Daylight has gone from strength to strength, bucking the ongoing trend of live-service games getting ignominiously shut down. This asymmetrical multiplayer slashers vs survivors game has just launched its fourth and final Twisted Masquerade online event, and its Steam player count has soared to new heights.

While Dead by Daylight was never in danger of being shut down, thanks to a solid player base, this multiplayer horror game has seen a major uptick in its fortunes.

The release of DbD's new Five Nights at Freddy's content saw its concurrent Steam player count hit its highest peak in four years. The update added Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria as a new map, alongside new killer Springtrap, as seen in the FNAF movie. The image of a maskless Matthew Lillard screaming in survivors' faces has entered memedom, which won't have done the game's popularity any harm.

Now, Dead by Daylight's Twisted Masquerade event has returned for the fourth and final year, raising DbD's popularity to even greater heights. This event, which allows players to earn fanciful masks and weapons, has pushed its concurrent player count has hit 120,717. That's an all-time record and a poke in the eye for rival Evil Dead: The Game which was delisted earlier this year. 

The event is currently live and runs until Thursday, July 17, 2025, at 8am PDT / 11am EDT / 4pm BST. If you're wondering what cosmetics are on offer, we've got you covered with all the details of DbD's Twisted Masquerade. But, remember, this is your last chance to get your hands on them.

Why is Dead by Daylight so popular? It has a lot to do with the sheer wealth of killers and survivors on offer. We've ranked all 39 of DbD's killers, and new menaces are added all the time. But while there are plenty of original characters in the game, dreamed up by developer Behaviour Interactive, there are a huge number of 'celebrity' killers too.

Not all these famous slashers are available to buy right now, but the crossover factor is just mindblowing. This is a game where you can have the Xenomorph from Alien chasing down Nicolas Cage while Resident Evil's Leon Kennedy takes on Chucky. And while the Evil Dead game may be gone, Ash Williams lives on as a guest survivor. It's all our horror fan fiction fantasies come to life - what's not to love?

Do you want free stuff in Dead by Daylight? Of course you do, which is why we've got the latest DbD codes and DbD Twitch drops.

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