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Ice Nine Kills join Dead by Daylight with Play Dead and O2 show

“‘Play Dead,’ our take on Dead by Daylight, is a collision of hooks, horror, and total chaos.”

Published

June 26, 2026

Ice Nine Kills unveil Play Dead with Dead by Daylight crossover and confirm O2 Arena headline show

Ice Nine Kills have entered the fog with Play Dead, a new single and video made in collaboration with Dead by Daylight. Written for the game’s 10th anniversary celebrations, the track links the band’s horror-heavy world with one of gaming’s most recognisable survival thrillers.

The song was created alongside Dead by Daylight composer Michel F. April and arrives with an in-game Ice Nine Kills Collection, giving players a way to pull the band directly into the game’s universe via DLC. Fans can stream Play Dead here.

Horror, gaming and a wider cast of villains

The new release also brings a fresh batch of familiar names into the INKverse. Tony Hawk, Devon Sawa and Krsy Fox all feature in the accompanying mythology around the track, alongside the Dead by Daylight team, as the band continue to blur the line between song cycle and slasher cinema.

Frontman Spencer Charnas said: “‘Play Dead,’ our take on Dead by Daylight, is a collision of hooks, horror, and total chaos. As lifelong horror fans, we find it surreal and an absolute honour to have Ice Nine Kills’ music officially tied to Terrifier, Scream, Ready or Not, and now, the iconic survival horror game Dead by Daylight.”

Dead by Daylight’s Mat Côté added: “Dead by Daylight has always been about celebrating horror in all its forms, and Ice Nine Kills shares that same passion for the genre we have. We’ve always been big fans of their music, and their creativity and deep connection to horror culture made this collab feel incredibly natural.”

Ice Nine Kills – PLAY DEAD Single Artwork — PLAY DEAD Single Artwork

Ice Nine Kills released Play Dead off the back of their first-ever number one at Active Rock Radio with Twisting The Knife (feat. Mckenna Grace), which also featured on the soundtrack to Scream 7. The group have also tied recent releases to Terrifier 3 and Ready or Not 2: Here I Come, keeping their horror references firmly in the frame.

Alongside the new single, the band have confirmed their biggest UK headline show to date. Following their mainstage appearance at Download Festival earlier this month, they will bring the March In Silence tour to London’s O2 Arena on 28 March 2027.

The date marks the most ambitious production of their live run so far, with Charnas promising: “London gave us our biggest headlining show in history thus far, and as everyone knows, there’s always a sequel. Can’t wait to soak the prestigious O2 in stage blood, and scream along with our British Psychos next year.”

Tickets are on sale now.