Vortex Gaming

· Jason Voorhees' participation has been confirmed for Dead by Daylight's 10th anniversary.
· Community Manager Eric Pope tweeted after Jason's mask was revealed, suggesting 'Maybe Pennywise is under the mask,' or 'Jason is like Slender Man, depending on your perspective.'
· When fans expressed anticipation for a Slender Man killer, Eric Pope responded positively, saying '100% agree.'
· These remarks sparked fan speculation about the possibility of Pennywise or Slender Man appearing in Dead by Daylight in the future.

· If Pennywise or Slender Man were in the game's development pipeline, it would be unusual for the community manager to mention those IPs on Twitter, as it risks leaking information.
· Eric Pope responded, 'Never say never. Jason was once impossible too,' leaving the possibility open.
· He also mentioned the complexity of Slender Man's licensing issues, stating that while he personally would like to add Slender Man to the game, the final decision isn't his to make.

· The licensing related to the Jason Voorhees character appears to be provided to Dead by Daylight through 'Jason Universe' and 'Mask Horror Inc.'
· Due to past lawsuits, the licensing rights for the 'Friday the 13th' franchise have been split among various entities. The rights to the Jason character are separate from the rights to the movie title 'Friday the 13th.'
· Therefore, it's speculated that the official title of this chapter is only 'Jason,' not 'Friday the 13th.'

· This chapter is expected to feature only the Jason Voorhees killer, with no new map or survivor included.
· According to entertainment lawyer Larry Zerner, 'Jason Universe' jointly owns most rights related to 'Friday the 13th,' excluding the title itself. The movie title 'Friday the 13th' is owned by New Line Cinema.
· Paramount holds the distribution rights for films 1 through 8, while New Line Cinema holds rights for films 9 through 12. However, negotiating with 'Jason Universe' is necessary for producing new films.
· 'Jason Universe' can use the trademark 'Friday the 13th' for new content without negotiating with New Line Cinema. This is why new series are named 'Crystal Lake' and related merchandise is released under the 'Jason Universe' brand.
· Additionally, New Line Cinema owns the Jason Voorhees trademark rights related to Halloween costumes, masks, and toys, allowing for merchandise sales.

· Noted leaker Dweet revealed they had known about the Jason Voorhees chapter since last December and that the information had been in development since July 2024.
· The initial plan focused on a killer-only release and survivor cosmetic themes, but this may have changed.
· Dweet mentioned the inability to use the name Jason Voorhees and speculated that iconic elements like movie versions of his appearance or Pamela Voorhees' name might be added later.
· Dweet's information is considered highly reliable, given their past accurate predictions regarding the timing of the Stranger Things collaboration.

· According to Dweet's information, large IP contracts like those for Dead by Daylight typically take about two to two and a half years from the licensing agreement to game release.
· This accounts for the complex procedures and negotiations involved in game development and release.
· Therefore, Dweet having information since 2020 is entirely plausible.

· Dead by Daylight's licensing agreements are usually made years in advance, and there's a pattern of surprising announcements of upcoming licenses around the anniversary each year.
· New killers or surprise announcements are expected during the upcoming 10th-anniversary stream and the major event in Canada.
· With Jason Voorhees confirmed as this year's anniversary killer and Slender Man and Pennywise mentioned by the dev team, it's unlikely they would be the next new IPs announced.
· IPs like 'Predator' or 'Jurassic Park' could be surprise reveals.