Update: Behaviour, the developer of Dead by Daylight, confirms employee layoffs

Dead by Daylight developer Behaviour Interactive has reportedly laid off 45 people, as revealed in an update from Kotaku. The layoffs occurred at Behaviour's Montreal studio starting in December 2023, affecting staff across various departments.

Game Developer reached out to Behaviour for comment, but as of today, there has been no response from the company.

Behaviour Interactive has been active in recent times, gearing up for the launch of a new Dead by Daylight chapter featuring Alan Wake as a playable character. Additionally, the studio introduced a new franchise called Meet Your Maker in April last year.

In 2023, Behaviour underwent significant expansion, acquiring several studios, including SockMonkey in the UK and Codeglue in the Netherlands. The company also strengthened its presence in the UK by establishing a new studio in Cornwall, known as Behaviour UK – South.

However, the recent layoffs indicate a shift in the studio's trajectory. Behaviour has confirmed the workforce reduction, attributing it to "changing market conditions." A spokesperson, responding to Game Developer via email, stated that the cuts affected less than 3 percent of the total workforce. The company expressed a preference for reassigning talent to other projects but acknowledged that it isn't always feasible.

The spokesperson explained, "Recently, changing market conditions necessitated adjusting the scope of several Behaviour projects. In these situations, our preference is always to reassign talent to other projects. Unfortunately, this option is not always available to us. These departures represented less than 3 percent of our total workforce."

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