Behaviour Interactive Cuts Roles as External Mobile and Casual Work Declines

Behaviour confirms layoffs

Behaviour Interactive, the studio behind Dead by Daylight, has laid off an undisclosed number of employees, according to Game Developer. The report was published on Apr. 22, 2026 and cites a company spokesperson saying the cuts are tied to declining demand for mobile and casual external development projects.

Behaviour said a portion of its business has traditionally focused on external development partnerships. As remaining engagements end and comparable near-term work fails to appear, the company decided to part ways with some staff. The representative did not provide a headcount for the layoffs.

External development is the pressure point

The company has worked with partners including NetEase Games, Disney, Nintendo, EA, and Tencent. Game Developer says the layoffs arrive less than a month after Behaviour acquired 7 Days to Die developer The Fun Pimps for an undisclosed fee, and after the 2024 closure of Behaviour subsidiary Midwinter Entertainment.

As of March 2026, Behaviour employed roughly 1,200 people across Montreal, Vancouver, Toronto, Rotterdam, and the United Kingdom. Dead by Daylight has passed 70 million players globally since its 2016 launch, but the layoff explanation points to service and partner work rather than the flagship horror franchise.

Community signal

The r/Games thread was created on 2026-04-22 and reached about 240 upvotes and 43 comments. Comments linked the report to an earlier r/gamedev post about layoffs and quickly moved into criticism of studio leadership and Dead by Daylight direction.

Primary source: Game Developer.