Tokyo Ghoul's Kaneki Ken is coming to Dead By Daylight

Tokyo Ghoul will be joining the Dead By Daylight universe with the games latest collaboration.

The asymmetrical multiplayer horror game Dead by Daylight has previously added playable characters from a variety of series such as Silent Hill, Halloween, Resident Evil and Stranger Things.

This collaboration marks the first time the game has introduced content inspired by an anime.

The collaboration brings the dark world of Tokyo Ghoul into the Entity’s Realm, the setting of Dead by Daylight.

Ken Kaneki, the protagonist of Tokyo Ghoul, will be introduced as a new playable Killer character named The Ghoul.

Tokyo Ghoul is the first anime to be featured in Dead By Daylight

Tokyo Ghoul is a dark fantasy series that explores the internal conflict of Ken Kaneki, who becomes a human-ghoul hybrid after a near-fatal accident and subsequent organ transplant from a ghoul.

The series’ narrative delves into themes of identity, survival, and the struggle to maintain humanity in the face of a monstrous transformation.

In Dead by Daylight, Kaneki’s character is portrayed as having succumbed to his ghoul instincts and having become driven by cruelty and hunger.

The Ghoul character is an alternate version of Tokyo Ghoul’s Kaneki Ken

This depiction draws from Kaneki’s traumatic experiences in the original Tokyo Ghoul storyline, particularly his torture at the hands of the ghoul, Jason.

The collaboration chapter aims to amplify Kaneki’s inner conflict and present The Ghoul as more formidable Killer character than in the anime and manga series.

The Ghoul will utilize his Kagune Tentacles as his primary weapon, enabling rapid traversal of the game map.

Making use of the Kagune Tentacles will be a prominent part of the characters playstyle

A successful attack will trigger “Enraged Mode”, enhancing the Killer’s strength, speed, and ferocity.

The Killer’s unique perks are designed to maintain constant pressure on Survivors, forcing them to remain vigilant.

The Killer also has a “Memento Mori” animation, an execution move, that displays the ghouls cannibalistic nature.

Players can playtest the new character from March 12th

A Public Test Build (PTB) of the collaboration chapter, titled “Dead by Daylight | Tokyo Ghoul” will be accessible for a limited period on the Steam platform, from midnight on Wednesday, March 12th, 2025.

This PTB allows players to experience the new content before its official release, providing feedback to the developers.

“Dead by Daylight | Tokyo Ghoul” is scheduled for release on Thursday, April 3rd, 2025, on multiple platforms, including Steam, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Epic Games Store, Windows Store, and Nintendo Switch.

The Ghoul is intended to be a formidable challenge for opposing players

A “Tokyo Ghoul Collection” of cosmetic items will also be released on Thursday, April 3rd. This collection will feature character outfits and masks from the “Tokyo Ghoul” anime. Notable outfits include:

“Kamishiro Rize” outfit for “The Ghoul” (Ken Kaneki)
“Rabbit Costume” coordination for Yui Kimura
“Hide’s Costume” coordination for Renato Liela
“Eto’s Costume” coordination for Nea Karlsson
“Awakened Ghoul” outfit for “The Ghoul” (Ken Kaneki)

Additionally, four rare masks will be available for the characters Unknown, Jonah Vasquez, Jake Park, and David King.

Source: Official Website