Update: Dead by Daylight developer Behaviour confirms layoffs

Dead by Daylight developer Behaviour Interactive has reportedly laid off 45 people. That's according to an update from Kotaku, which spoke with individuals with knowledge of the situation.

The layoffs were apparently confined to Behaviour's Montreal studio and began in December 2023. It's claimed staff across multiple departments have been impacted by the redundancies.

Game Developer reached out to Behaviour for comment earlier today but has yet to hear back.

Behaviour Interactive's recent dealings

The studio is currently preparing to launch a new Dead by Daylight chapter that will see Alan Wake brought to the horror title as a playable character. It also launched a new franchise called Meet Your Maker in April last year.

Behaviour expanded significantly in 2023, acquiring multiple studios including UK-based SockMonkey and Dutch outfit Codeglue. The company then bolstered its presence in the UK by opening a new studio in Cornwall called Behaviour UK – South.

When cutting the ribbon on its UK studio, Behaviour said it wanted to add to its "industry-leading external development capabilities" and last year also spoke of strategically expanding into Europe following its purchase of Codeglue.

Update: Behaviour has confirmed it laid off workers due to "changing market conditions." In an email sent to Game Developer, a company spokesperson said the cuts impacted less than 3 percent of its total workforce but didn't specify whether they were confined to its Montreal studio.

"Recently, changing market conditions necessitated adjusting the scope of several Behaviour projects. In these situations, our preference is always to reassign talent to other projects. Unfortunately, this option is not always available to us," they said. "These departures represented less than 3 percent of our total workforce."