Three years after his own game was discontinued due to licensing legalities, horror icon Jason Voorhees is officially returning to asymmetrical survival horror.
The hockey-masked slasher will slice his way into Dead by Daylight on May 26, 2026, as part of the Steam public test build, ahead of his official release on June 16. The massive crossover comes courtesy of a new partnership between developer Behaviour Interactive and Horror Inc.’s “Jason Universe” initiative.
The announcement follows a meticulously crafted, 24-hour viral marketing campaign. Cryptic teasers began popping up on Instagram Friday evening, culminating in a 12-hour YouTube livestream of a lonely, atmospheric shed in the woods. The digital breadcrumbs all led to a chilling, cinematic trailer that officially unveiled the entity’s newest Killer.
Check out the reveal trailer below:
The news comes ahead of a major Dead by Daylight 10th Anniversary event being held in Montreal, Canada, on June 14. For a game that prides itself on uniting every corner of the horror landscape under a single foggy sky, there may be no better way to ring in a decade of terror than Jason’s arrival.
Since the game’s debut in 2016, players have never stopped begging for the Crystal Lake killer, and the dev team has never given up on making his inclusion a reality.
“There was never a question that our 10th Anniversary Chapter couldn’t just be big – it needed to be something really special,” shares Sr. Creative Director Dave Richard. “When we started to see a path to finally making this partnership a reality for our 10th, we knew then the perfect Jason moment had come. We’re just thrilled the stars aligned, and we were able to work with the great folks at Jason Universe to deliver this for our players on such a major milestone for Dead by Daylight.”
Jason’s Power is split into two distinct components, the first being Omnipresent Evil. This stealth-based ability encapsulates the Killer’s knack for popping up in unexpected places to catch his victims off guard.
Activating Omnipresent Evil causes Jason to vanish from the Map entirely, allowing him to move at increased speed while giving Survivors zero clues as to his whereabouts. While invisible, Jason can track his prey through faint visual cues like footsteps, predicting their movements and positioning himself perfectly for maximum effect.
To reappear, Jason targets key environmental points such as Pallets, Vault points, and breakable walls—bursting back into action with explosive force. For added effect, these sudden appearances can destroy breakable obstacles around him and trigger screams from nearby prey. Survivors will have to contend with the tension that comes from suddenly losing track of Jason and knowing a vicious attack could be waiting just around the bend.
The second half of Jason’s Power taps into his signature creativity when it comes to kills utilizing the items available in his environment. Scattered throughout the Map are containers filled with makeshift projectiles—fragments of Lockers, broken Generator parts, shattered Pallets, even Hooks.
Jason can hurl these items with devastating force, turning familiar elements of The Entity’s Realm into deadly weapons. Unlike other ranged Killers, each projectile must be gathered individually and will only be replenished the next time Jason enters Omnipresent Evil, adding a layer of strategy to their use.
A successful hit will stagger Survivors, but under the right conditions, Jason can also score some welcome style points. If an injured Survivor is struck near a wall, they’ll be pinned in place—left helpless and suspended until Jason mercilessly strides up to claim them.
Launching alongside the Chapter is the Jason Collection, featuring a range of Outfits that pay homage to his cinematic legacy while being reimagined for The Fog.
Jason’s default Outfit presents the unmistakable icon from Jason Universe, originally designed by horror legend Greg Nicotero: a 13-holed hockey mask, machete, and weather-beaten clothing worn through countless kills. Additional exclusive Outfits are also available:
- Backwoods Terror: This outfit trades Jason’s jacket for flannel and suspenders, and his machete for a heavy axe.
- Death Forsaken: A grotesque incarnation with decayed features, exposed bone, and a shovel in hand.
- Depths of Despair: A nod to his time trapped at the bottom of Crystal Lake, showing Jason covered head-to-toe in barnacles, coral, and seaweed.
It looks like 2026 is going to be a good year for gamers who are fans of the “Friday the 13th” killer. Earlier this month, it was announced that Jason would return to Fortnite this fall as part of the annual Fortnitemares Halloween event.
