The Controversy and Apology
Behavior Interactive faced criticism after a community staff member gifted streamer TheBurntPeanut every in-game item in Dead by Daylight during a live stream. Following an initial statement on a secondary account, the developer issued a second apology on its main account to take full accountability for the incident.
TheBurntPeanut gained attention playing extraction shooters, though his commentary style has previously drawn mixed reactions and scrutiny during earlier game collaborations over alleged past remarks.
Dead by Daylight requires players to spend in-game currency or real money to unlock characters. Gifting the full roster to a streamer drew frustration from dedicated community members who felt sidelined.
The move sparked favoritism concerns as the streamer had shown little prior interest in the game. Initial support messages from staff responding to the backlash further escalated community tensions.
Past footage showed the streamer questioning the game's mechanics and long-term popularity, adding to the community's unfavorable reaction to the giveaway.
Streamer Response and Studio Actions
The streamer addressed the backlash in a video, noting player frustrations and refund requests citing communication issues and misconduct allegations.
During the discussion, the streamer questioned the origin of certain accusations while addressing the online reaction with fellow creators.
Behavior Interactive stated it will implement new approval processes to ensure community representatives cannot independently select collaboration partners without internal checks.
The studio explained that the decision to unlock the account stemmed from excitement over reaching a large new audience, but acknowledged the move happened without proper group discussion.
The developer noted that standard procedures usually involve thorough reviews of past content to ensure alignment with community values of inclusion, which was bypassed in this instance.
The company also addressed inappropriate replies made by staff during the session, admitting that the remarks disregarded context and crossed brand boundaries.
The promotional items have since been removed from the account. Behavior is currently rewriting its creator interaction guidelines and addressing the employee's actions through internal channels.
