{"id":19814,"date":"2022-07-20T04:18:43","date_gmt":"2022-07-20T04:18:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/attack-on-titan-coming-dead-by-daylight-and-other-anime-tie-ins-explained\/"},"modified":"2022-07-20T04:18:43","modified_gmt":"2022-07-20T04:18:43","slug":"attack-on-titan-coming-dead-by-daylight-and-other-anime-tie-ins-explained","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/attack-on-titan-coming-dead-by-daylight-and-other-anime-tie-ins-explained\/","title":{"rendered":"Attack on Titan coming Dead by Daylight and other anime tie-ins, explained"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Eren Yeager looks a little off in these new promotional materials. <\/p>\n

That’s because it’s not really him. It’s another character, in Yeager’s outfit, part of a collaboration between Attack on Titan<\/em> and the multiplayer horror-game Dead by Daylight<\/em>. And Yeager and the rest of his friends are hardly the only anime content coming to popular games stateside. <\/p>\n

Tuesday, Fortnite<\/em> announced a new Anime Legends pack bringing a set of skins to the game. Apex Legends<\/em> is also getting an anime-esque Gaiden Event. All three announcements came in one day. It’s part of a larger trend in which western video game makers are leaning hard into their fans’ interest in anime. <\/p>\n

All three live-service games are adding anime-inspired content to their games in different ways this summer. Dead by Daylight<\/em> developer Behavior Interactive is reimagining its characters in Attack on Titan<\/em>‘s most popular roles. Apex Legends<\/em>‘ Gaiden Event will bring more than 40 new cosmetic items to the game \u2014 four of them clearly inspired by popular anime series like <\/em>One Piece<\/em>, Naruto<\/em>, My Hero Academia<\/em>and Neon Genesis Evangelion<\/em>. and in Fortnite<\/em>Epic Games is going as far as to give the game’s Anime Legends Pack a physical release at select retailers, alongside generic anime-inspired skins.<\/p>\n

It’s far from the first time a popular Western multiplayer game has seen anime tie-ins or anime-inspired events. Another huge brand, PUBG Mobile<\/em>recently collaborated with Neon Genesis Evangelion<\/em><\/a> to bring that series’ characters \u2014 including its iconic mechs \u2014 to the battle royale. Hell, even Fortnite<\/em> got a load of Naruto<\/em> characters last month. <\/p>\n

But three announcements for popular multiplayer games is notable since it signals consumer trends and preferences as developers understand them. <\/p>\n

Why are there so many anime tie-ins?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Anime and manga have always played a large role in shaping the tastes of Western audiences. (Remember Cartoon Network’s Toonami<\/em> in the late ’90s and early 2000s?) However, around the time of 2020’s COVID-19 pandemic, interest in anime soared once again. Paperback sales of manga exploded during the quarantine times, and movies for anime series like Demon Slayer<\/em> became a smash hit. Additionally, anime fandoms thrive across social media, where TikTok dances and other anime-inspired content regularly shaped popular trends from 2020 on. <\/p>\n

the recent Apex Legends<\/em> announcement also taps another growing trend: VTubers. as part of Apex Legends<\/em>‘ lates event, developers said three heroes would become available as VTuber avatars, so streamers can embody their favorite characters as their anime incarnations. That’s a meaningful acknowledgment from Respawn Entertainment, as VTubers like Ironmouse smash Twitch records and the general fandom around them grows worldwide.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n