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8 min read
Dead by Daylight is facing boycott calls after TheBurntPeanut received free access to its DLC during a Halloween livestream. The decision sparked accusations of favouritism, criticism over the streamer‘s past and demands for refunds. Behaviour Interactive’s apology and removal of the gifted content have since divided the gaming community further.
The Fog is usually where Dead by Daylight players go to escape reality, but the horror game has found itself dealing with a very different kind of nightmare. Over Halloween weekend, a decision to give popular Twitch streamer TheBurntPeanut free access to the game’s downloadable content (DLC) triggered a massive community backlash. Players questioned the developer’s choice, brought up the streamer’s controversial past and accused the studio of favouring a big name over its loyal community.
What followed was a wave of boycott calls, refund requests and two official statements. However, Behaviour Interactive’s attempt to fix the situation has only divided players further.
What happened during TheBurntPeanut’s Dead by Daylight stream?
The controversy began on October 30, 2026, when Twitch streamer TheBurntPeanut, popularly known as Peanut, played Dead by Daylight during a Halloween collaboration with other creators. Known for his animated peanut avatar and streams around games such as Escape from Tarkov and ARC Raiders, he was relatively new to Behaviour Interactive’s multiplayer horror title.
RIP Dead By Daylight, Never thought I would see the End Of Service this soon
— Cerydra Honkai Star Rail (@butter_minecart) November 3, 2026
During the broadcast, viewers noticed that his in-game mailbox had received a rather unusual surprise. The game’s team had unlocked essentially all its DLC characters, perks and related content for him, giving him access to a huge collection without having to purchase everything himself. Peanut joked about receiving “streamer privileges”. However, when viewers began questioning the preferential treatment, he offered to return the items, saying he did not want the backlash on X. The official Dead by Daylight account responded with a message that would soon become the centre of the controversy: “WE CAN TAKE THE HEAT! THEY ARE YOURS TO KEEP.” For many players, that reply was more frustrating than the original giveaway. It appeared to dismiss their concerns instead of acknowledging why the decision could upset the existing community.
Why were Dead by Daylight players angry with TheBurntPeanut?
The backlash was not simply about a popular streamer receiving free characters. A large section of the community questioned whether TheBurntPeanut was an appropriate person for the game to publicly support, considering the controversy surrounding some of his previous streams. Gamers brought up older clips in which he appeared to use slurs, including an incident from his Escape from Tarkov streaming days. Some viewers also questioned his edgy humour and previous comments, arguing that they clashed with the inclusive environment Dead by Daylight has tried to promote.
One X user, @EveElleQueen, expressed frustration over the decision, writing: “Problematic licenses and then rewarding homophobic and racist people with products? This is embarrassing.” The user also pointed out that several dedicated creators were still waiting for approval into the game’s Creator Program despite spending years supporting it. Another player questioned the studio’s business judgement, arguing that it had spent years building a progressive community whose support was important to the game’s cosmetic sales. The criticism was not limited to the streamer’s past conduct. For many, the bigger issue was why an established creator with a large audience received immediate attention while smaller community members continued waiting.
I don’t think I could articulate a better response than this.
— Otzdarva (@OtzdarvaYT) November 2, 2026
Peanut, meanwhile, pushed back against the accusations during a subsequent stream. Reacting to a refund request that cited his collaboration and the game’s response, he said: “I don’t think I’ve ever said anything about transgender people in the last two years of streaming. Have I ever said anything about transgender people?” His supporters argued that old clips were being repeatedly brought up to damage his reputation, while critics maintained that the developer had a responsibility to examine a creator’s history before publicly associating its brand with them.
Behaviour Interactive’s first apology fails to calm players
As screenshots from the livestream spread across X, Reddit and Discord, players began announcing that they were uninstalling Dead by Daylight. Some also shared refund requests, while others called for a boycott until Behaviour addressed the situation. The developer’s first response arrived on November 1 through its @DbDPulse account. Behaviour acknowledged that a team member had granted the streamer in-game content and currency without receiving the necessary approvals.
The studio admitted that it should have investigated the concerns raised during the stream instead of dismissing them. It also condemned threats directed at its employees and apologised for letting the community down. However, the response did little to satisfy critics. One X user, @M1das_OW2, shared a screenshot of the apology and wrote: “an apology with zero consequences to the employee who caused the whole thing is an empty meaningless apology. this is embarrassing.”
TheBurntPeanut addresses the Dead by Daylight situation”I already get cancelled on Twitter rn cause Dead by Daylight..did you just get skins for free? That makes you a racist!..there’s one guy that submitted a refund, and in the refund reason box, they go TheBurntPeanut collaboration and the response of the game’s communication team, I do not support racist transphobes..I don’t think I’ve ever said anything about transgender people””They go for like 3 things that would make a lot of people mad and then say you do all of them, it’s the meta”
— yeet (@Awk20000) November 2, 2026
Others were unhappy for an entirely different reason. One reply questioned why the studio was apologising for having a major streamer play its game, while another demanded that it stop catering to what they described as an overly sensitive minority. The disagreement was already becoming bigger than the original giveaway. Players who wanted accountability felt ignored, while those supporting Peanut believed the developer was being pressured into apologising for an otherwise harmless gesture.
Dead by Daylight removes TheBurntPeanut’s free DLC
On November 3, Behaviour Interactive published a more detailed statement through the game’s main X account, attempting to address the questions that remained unanswered. The developer explained that its team had noticed a large audience watching someone experience Dead by Daylight for the first time. Seeing an opportunity to introduce the game to new players, members of the team moved quickly to welcome the streamer. However, the decision was made outside the studio’s usual discussions, without properly examining his previous content or considering whether the partnership aligned with the game’s values.
Behaviour admitted that it lacked sufficiently strict internal rules to prevent individual team members from granting in-game content without wider approval. It also specifically addressed the infamous chat response, acknowledging that it had escalated the situation. The studio confirmed that the gifted content had already been removed. It also announced that creator guidelines would be rewritten, approval procedures for granting in-game items and currency would be strengthened, and employees would receive additional training.
How to kill your entire game. You just bowed down to basically terrorists that harassed your staff with threats TWICE.
— Chibi Reviews (@ChibiReviews) November 3, 2026
In its statement, Behaviour admitted: “This incident has broken trust with our community.” It also acknowledged that rebuilding that trust would be a slow process, but insisted that it was committed to doing the necessary work.
Asmongold and players react to Behaviour’s second statement
Interestingly, the detailed explanation did not bring the controversy to an end. Instead, it created another wave of criticism, particularly among players who believed the developer had given in to online pressure. Popular streamer Asmongold was among the most vocal critics. Reacting to the statement, he accused Behaviour of prioritising the approval of online activists over protecting its employees from harassment and doxxing.
He described the apology as a “pathetic capitulation that will earn the respect of no one”. His reaction reflected the frustration of players who believed the studio should have stood by its original decision rather than removing the content after the backlash. Meanwhile, other community members continued defending Behaviour’s decision to acknowledge its mistakes. X user @AFRO highlighted how the controversy had reached the point where both sides were leaving negative Steam reviews.
“What’s crazy is that on top of all this happening, DBD is getting reviewbombed….by burntpeanut fans??????” the user wrote. They added that both parties were negatively reviewing the game, with one side reacting to the harassment faced by the studio and the other objecting to what it saw as the developer “bending the knee”. The Steam reviews reflected the same divide. One player criticised the developer, writing: “L Devs, Justice for Peanut, folding like a lawn chair under woke pressure is crazy.” Another took the opposite position, saying: “I’m not giving my time or any more of my money to a game and company that supports that.”
it’s like the avengers if the avengers were a combination of racists, pedophiles, and nazis
— Dyylas (@DylanDyylas) November 2, 2026
Dead by Daylight players continue to call for a boycott
Behaviour Interactive’s second statement has done little to bring the community together, with players on both sides continuing to express their anger. While some are uninstalling the game over the original giveaway, others are doing the same because of the developer’s decision to remove the gifted content.
One player criticised the studio for “folding like a lawn chair under woke pressure”, while another declared, “I’m not giving my time or any more of my money to a game and company that supports that.” As boycott calls continue, Behaviour faces the difficult task of rebuilding trust without alienating either side of its player base.
