Jason Voorhees, the iconic villain from the Friday the 13th franchise, is joining the asymmetrical multiplayer horror game Dead by Daylight as a playable killer named "The Slasher." He will appear in the game's 10th anniversary celebration this year, marking his first inclusion after years of licensing hurdles [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
Jason's abilities in Dead by Daylight include invisibility, appearing at key environmental locations to destroy objects, and the power to throw environmental projectiles that can pin survivors to walls and disable them [3, 4]. His special skill, Omnipresent Evil, lets him turn invisible but causes him to lose sight of survivors; survivors can still be tracked by mist clouds and footprints while he is invisible [4].
Jason's arrival follows the shutdown of Friday the 13th: The Game at the end of 2024, which fell victim to licensing and legal issues preventing further operation [1, 2, 3]. These issues also delayed Jason's appearance in Dead by Daylight, a game that already features other horror icons including Freddy Krueger, Michael Myers, and Chucky [1, 5].
The Jason Universe project, launched in 2024, has expanded the character's presence across multiple platforms. This initiative has enabled Jason's inclusion in popular games such as Call of Duty, Fortnite, MultiVersus, and now Dead by Daylight [1, 2, 5]. Robbie Barsamian, Horror Inc. executive VP, said Friday the 13th fans "have been waiting for this collaboration since Dead by Daylight launched" [3].
Dead by Daylight developer Behaviour Interactive described the game as one where "four determined Survivors face a bloodthirsty Killer in a vicious game of nerve and wits," with a promise of a special 10th anniversary event [2]. Senior creative director Dave Richard said, "The game's 10th anniversary needed to be something special … we’re just thrilled the stars aligned" [3].
Jason was added to Dead by Daylight's public test build on May 26, 2026. The full downloadable content (DLC) featuring Jason is scheduled for official release on June 16, 2026 [2, 3, 4, 5]. A 10th anniversary stream by Behaviour Interactive on June 14, 2026, will reveal more details about the update [5].
