The latest Resident Evil multiplayer project might succeed where recent attempts haven't, as the iconic horror franchise is the latest to cross over with Dead By Daylight. The collaboration was announced during Capcom's Resident Evil Showcase event with a teaser trailer.
All we know for sure is that the crossover has a June release date, and the RE antagonist will join the game's roster of killers has yet to be announced. With 25 years of history, there's no shortage of candidates, and some stand out from the pack.
Mr. X
Coming off of his breakout role in the Resident Evil 2 remake, Mr. X is the most obvious choice to join Dead By Daylight's roster of killers. He relentlessly pursued Claire Redfield and Leon Kennedy through Raccoon City. He could do the same in miniature in Dead By Daylight's maps.
DBD's asymmetrical multiplayer would add a new dynamic to encounters with the trenchcoat-and-fedora-clad behemoth. Players would finally have back up against Mr. X, even if none of it would be armed. One lucky player would get the chance to play as Mr. X per round, getting the chance to experience what it's like to be on the other side of an encounter with him. Mr. X's traditional form would fit in with Dead By Daylight's gameplay and aesthetic more than his final boss form from Resident Evil 2. The claw he sports in that final battle would fit in more with the bladed weapons that DBD's killers favor.
Nemesis
Nemesis played a similar role to Mr. X in Resident Evil 3's remake, with a singular focus on hunting Jill Valentine. During chase sequences, Jill could outrun and outwit Nemesis, not stop him. That dynamic would be easy to translate to Dead By Daylight. Much like Mr. X, it would be interesting to see how that would translate to one of DBD's maps.
Nemesis's ability to seemingly pop out of nowhere in RE 3 wouldn't work the same with a player in control of the monster. Neither would the mutations that happen as it takes damage over the game, since Survivors can't fight back in the way Jill could. These aspects of Nemesis's character could take the form of Perks, Dead By Daylight's term for unlockable abilities that can be added to each character's loadout.
Lady Dimitrescu
If Capcom is looking to capitalize on a character's viral popularity and promote the latest entry in the franchise, Lady Dimitrescu is the clear choice. The towering countess became an internet obsession following her brief appearance in the Resident Evil: Maiden demo.
Based on limited footage from Village, Lady Dimitrescu appears to be following in Mr. X and Nemesis's footsteps by stalking Ethan Winters through her castle. That makes her another Resident Evil villain in the slasher movie stalker mode. Her gloved, retractable claws are similar enough in concept to Freddy Kruger's clawed glove that rendering them in Dead By Daylight shouldn't be difficult. She might also have the ability to step on Survivors, fulfilling a particularly dangerous fantasy for some fans. While her height has helped capture the hearts of her fans, it could be a liability in gameplay. It's difficult for someone who's 9'6 to be stealthy.
Bitores Mendez
Mendez isn't the highest profile villain Dead By Daylight could pull from Resident Evil 4. The most ported RE game features antagonists like series mastermind Albert Wesker, mercenary Jack Krauser, and cult leader Osmund Sadler. Out of that impressive rogue's gallery, Village Chief Mendez stands out as a good fit for Dead By Daylight's roster.
Mendez's imposing size is one way he stands out as Killer material. His feats of strength, from lifting Leon Kennedy by his throat with ease to bending a steel bar, were enough to make him a challenge to Leon before he mutated. If he could give an action hero like Leon a run for his money, Mendez would be more than a match for Dead By Daylight's Survivors. Beyond his strength, Mendez sports razor sharp talons after a mutation caused by an explosion, and a terrifyingly fast final form after he's bisected.
Jack Baker
The Jack Torrance-inspired patriarch of the Baker Family was the main antagonist of Resident Evil 7. At one point during his relentless pursuit of Ethan Winters, Baker bursts through a wall wielding an ax in homage to an iconic scene from The Shining. A character so heavily influenced by one of horror's all-time great cinematic villains would be a perfect addition to Dead By Daylight.
Despite his strength, Baker isn't as physically imposing as many recent Resident Evil adversaries. The trade-off is that he's adept at stealth, often appearing seemingly from nowhere. In spite of the toll his mutations have take on him, Baker is also a crafty adversary. His ability to create traps and weapons out of items like chainsaws could translate into Perks that would make him a formidable challenge for survivors.