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The Licensing Reality of Bringing Pennywise to Dead by Daylight
With IT being a major and highly lucrative Chapter, here’s a breakdown of the licensing situation and the real prospect of Pennywise joining Dead by Daylight.
The collab remains a complex licensing challenge, yet one that is demonstrably possible under current conditions.
So, The Obstacles..
Stephen King has been known to be selective and protective regarding adaptations of his work, commonly in the video game space. Most official King game collabs date back to the 1980s and 1990s, such as The Mist text adventure, The Dark Half, and Stephen King's F13. King has stated he is not personally a gamer and prefers maintaining strong creative oversight. Behaviour Interactive has previously acknowledged difficulties in securing certain King licenses.
..Misconception..
The common claim that King “hates video games” and makes collaboration impossible is overstated. While he is not personally a gamer, he has licensed multiple games in the past and has publicly defended the medium against political attacks.
The Opportunity
The primary pathway forward is Warner Bros, which controls the modern cinematic rights to IT. WB is actively expanding the franchise through Welcome to Derry, the HBO prequel series that premiered in 2025 to strong reception and has already been renewed for further seasons. King has expressed support for this project, indicating his willingness to collaborate when the partners and direction align.
This matters because WB has prior experience licensing IT properties for games, including documented rumours and leaks regarding Pennywise in MultiVersus. Behaviour Interactive also maintains established relationships with Warner Bros properties in the horror genre. Combined with DBD Creative Director Dave Richard’s repeated public statements expressing strong interest in bringing a Stephen King entity — particularly Pennywise — into the game, the structural conditions are more favourable than in previous years.
Conclusion
While hurdles remain, Welcome to Derry serves as a significant inlet by keeping the IT universe prominent and demonstrating active corporate investment. With the right timing and negotiations, a Pennywise chapter in Dead by Daylight is achievable.
All roads lead to Derry 🎈
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