Summary
If something is relevant in pop culture, it is safe to assume that it already features inFortniteor has been rumored for an addition in the near future. Surveys have listed everything from celebrities like Margot Robbie to Game of the Year winners likeElden Ringas potential targets for new cosmetics, andThe Last of Usunsurprisingly found itself on that list. However, with the launch ofThe Last of UsHBO series bringing no such content andNeil Druckmann himself saying thatThe Last of Uswould not appear inFortnite, it seems like hopes of that crossover are dead. However, fellow live service titleDead by Daylightwould be a perfect home for the series.
It can be assumed that some of the reasons aFortniteandThe Last of Uscollaboration never happened are the latter’s prestige and tonal differences between the games. WhileFortnitehas featured numerous characters from mature franchises, such as,Terminator,Alien, andPredator,The Last of Usis a different beast entirely. Not only does the series deal with some incredibly serious themes, but seeing Abby, Ellie, or Joel dancing in a cartoony art style simply would not feel right, and could risk hurting the image of these characters. On the other hand,Dead by Daylight’s violent world of killers is perfect for someThe Last of Uscontent.
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Considering how many excellent characters there are inThe Last of Usseries, Survivors would likely be the main draw of a Chapter based on the franchise. While there are some excellent side characters in the series like Bill and Tommy, meaning thattwo chapters likeResident Evilreceivedwould be viable, it is obvious who should be prioritized within a DLC. Joel and Ellie would make excellent additions to the game, with the latter taking on her older appearance fromPart 2to better suit the world ofDead by Daylight.
Potential abilities for these two characters are fun to consider, withThe Last of Us’ get-out-of-jail free card being one particular thing that could be worked into the gameplay. Much like Leon can craft flashbangs when inside a locker, letting Joel make a shiv to counter one killer grab per match could make him a great Survivor for risk-takers. Ellie could use Listen mode to track the killer when they get close, with upgrades boosting its range. Considering how integral scavenging and crafting is toThe Last of Us’ gameplay, letting players find parts throughout the map to build smoke bombs and noisemakers could prove interesting.
Skins for both Joel and Ellie are easy to imagine, which would be another plus of this hypotheticalDead by DaylightChapter. Joel could get his older look fromPart 2with slightly longer hair and a brown jacket, while a skin inspired by Ellie’s younger appearance could give her a red shirt and longer ponytail. Outfits based on the HBO series could let players adjust the face models to look like Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey. And, best of all, a Legendary Outfit based on Abby could be added. Much like Jill received Claire and Sheva skins that completely reworked her character model and changed her voice lines, an outfit could fully transform players into Abby - though it may be best to give it to Joel instead of Ellie since they are closer together in terms of height and build.
However, as fun as Survivors can be,Dead by Daylightis defined by its many iconic Killers. While there are a few Infected options that could work for aThe Last of UsChapter, and even making the incredibly creepy David into a killer could make sense, the Clicker is too recognizable to pass up on. Making it fully blind would not be fair to players, but it could have limited eyesight to balance out its significantly stronger hearing. Letting Clickers place spores around the map to infect players could be a fun mechanic, especially if fully infected players die and are forced to attack their teammates. Like The Huntress’ humming, Survivors could hear the clicking noises from this Killer, allowing them to track where it is at all times.
Lastly, there is the topic of maps, as a new location would be needed to round out this chapter. While Bill’s Town does come to mind, there are a few creepier areas that could suitDead by Daylighta bit better. The infected tower fromThe Last of Us Part 2could be interesting, as that much verticality would be quite different fromDead by Daylight’s usual map design, and the area where Abby fought theRat Kingcould work. A bloody, damaged version of the Firefly Hospital from after Joel made his choice could work, as would the mall from Left Behind. With excellent options for maps, Killers, and Survivors, hopefullyThe Last of UsandDead by Daylightwill consider working together in the future.
Dead by Daylight is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
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