Exclusive: Dead by Daylight Devs Detail Authentic Five Nights at Freddy's Gameplay Included in New Chapter

Behaviour Interactive has revealed a closer look at its new Killer, Springtrap, and how his creative abilities will help Five Nights at Freddy’s fans feel right at home in Dead by Daylight when launch arrives June 17, 2025.

Behaviour shared new information about its latest horror crossover with IGN ahead of the upcoming Chapter’s public test build (PTB) today. This deep dive includes first details on Springtrap’s classic Five Nights at Freddy’s-inspired powers following his reveal earlier this month, along with how the lumbering animatronic will utilize a jump scare mechanic unlike anything seen in Behaviour’s asymmetrical horror game thus far.

The studio says its highly anticipated crossover Chapter is positioned to be “one of the game’s biggest to date.” That’s thanks mostly to Springtrap, a stalking, axe-wielding yellow rabbit known in the world of Dead by Daylight as The Animatronic. The menacing villain has a long, complicated place in Five Nights at Freddy’s lore but has never actually appeared as a playable character, which gave Behaviour freedom to toy with what fans think they know about him.

Springtrap uses a giant pizza knife as his primary weapon and a fire axe for his Power. It’s the latter that players will find most useful, as it can be used as an AOE tool that reveals Survivors to the Killer. If a thrown is timed well enough, it can be lodged in another player’s back, presenting an opportunity to trigger a Five Nights at Freddy’s-style jump scare if Springtrap is the one to remove it.

Adding to Behaviour’s special sauce is the inclusion of Five Nights at Freddy’s movie star Matthew Lillard, who provided his voice and likeness for those who pick up The Animatronic’s Yellow Rabbit Legendary outfit. Other outfits for Springtrap include the Legendary Glitchtrap outfit and the Very Rare Clown Springtrap and Toxic Springtrap outfits, as well as Freddy Fazbear’s t-shirts for the Survivors.

Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria Comes to Dead by Daylight

Springtrap is the Killer Dead by Daylight fans have wanted to see introduced for years, but he really only represents half of what the new Chapter brings to the table. While there’s no new Survivor, players can enjoy running for their lives in the new Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria map, which features a ground-up recreation of the iconic pizza restaurant with a few twists from The Entity.

Highlights from the new location include its Front Entrance, Kitchen, Janitor Room, and Dining Hall, and yes, Freddy’s band, including Bonnie and Chica, showed up for the party, too. Freddy’s Fazbear’s Pizzeria is another haunting map for Dead by Daylight players to run and hide through, but it also comes with Easter Eggs and jump scares of its own. We’ll have to wait and see what secrets it hides until players get their hands on it for themselves.

Thankfully, you won’t have to lock into the new map to get a taste of that familiar Five Nights at Freddy’s gameplay. Anyone who finds themselves fleeing from Springtrap on any map will find that new security doors, cameras, and a special office have spawned. These are more than an authentic callback to the classic experience, as these elements can be used by Survivors to keep track of Springtrap – as long as you have enough battery power.

If you’re interested in trying Springtrap for yourself but don’t want to wait, we have good news: the Five Nights at Freddy’s Chapter PTB launches today at 9 a.m. PT / 12 p.m. ET. If you want to wait for the full Chapter, which will bring its own order of quality-of-life improvements and more, you can look forward to the full launch next month. For more on Five Nights at Freddy’s and Dead by Daylight, you can read our interview with Behaviour, where we learned more about what it took to create the first-ever playable version of Springtrap and what the team is hoping to work on in the future.

Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He's best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).