Dead by Daylight Mobile has been removed from the Google Play store and App Store in India. In a tweet, developer Behaviour Interactive confirmed that it received an interim order from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), demanding that the survival-horror game be removed from mobile app storefronts. While no explicit reason was mentioned, the government has previously banned apps over similar security concerns around Chinese apps such as PUBG Mobile and Free Fire. In regions such as Southeast Asia, Japan, and Korea, Dead by Daylight Mobile was published by NetEase, a Chinese firm.
“Hello People of The Fog, We are committed to providing a unique mobile horror experience to our global audience while also complying with regional regulations,” the tweet reads. “To stay in line with the interim order from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology in India, we will be removing Dead by Daylight Mobile from the Storefronts.” While the developer claims that Indians can no longer download or play the game, a report from 91Mobiles suggests that players who “already had the game downloaded on their phones may be able to continue playing.” That said, it is clear that any updates to the game won’t get automatically installed on both platforms.
To stay in line with the interim order from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology in India, we will be removing Dead by Daylight Mobile from the Storefronts. Once it is removed, players in India will no longer be able to access and play Dead by Daylight Mobile.
— Dead by Daylight Mobile (@DbDMobile) March 23, 2023
In February 2022, the Indian government banned 52 Chinese-origin apps, which belonged to tech firms such as Alibaba, Tencent, and the aforementioned NetEase. The list also included Free Fire, which while developed by the Singapore-based Sea, was backed by Tencent, the largest shareholder of the company.
Prior to that, the government cracked down on PUBG Mobile and its subsequent lite version, in addition to short-video apps such as TikTok. Any further updates on DbD Mobile’s return will be revealed “when possible.”
Earlier this month, Dead by Daylight Mobile underwent some massive changes, urging existing players to migrate their accounts to a completely new version of the game. However, the developer notes that certain content will not get carried over, for which, it is willing to compensate with in-game currency such as Bloodpoints, Iridescent Shards, and Sinister Stones. The migration window will be closed on May 10, and you can check out the full compensation plan on the official FAQ website. Dead by Daylight is a 1v4 supernatural horror affair, where players are grouped as a killer on the hunt, or survivors wanting to break out from an enclosed location by powering five generators.
Dead by Daylight is also headed to Hollywood as production company Blumhouse prepares to develop a feature film adaptation of the same. The company will be partnering with developer Behaviour Interactive and horror maestro James Wan’s Atomic Monster to further expand the universe, as a search for a director and writer commences. “We know there are so many fans of Dead by Daylight out there and think it’s imperative we find someone who appreciates and loves the world as much as we do, to help us bring the game to the big screen,” Jason Blum, CEO and founder, Blumhouse said in a prepared statement, earlier this month.
Dead by Daylight Mobile is no longer available to download on Android or iOS.