'He came. And now he must go,' and that's why Pinhead is leaving Dead by Daylight in April

(Image credit: Behaviour Interactive)

A little over three years after being added to the game, Pinhead is leaving Dead by Daylight. Developer Behaviour Interactive announced today that the game's Hellraiser chapter, which includes the infamous Cenobite, will be unavailable for purchase on April 4.

"He came," Behaviour Interactive wrote. "And now he must go." And sure, we've all been there, but it sounds more likely to me that the looming departure is more likely the result of expiring licenses.

"Dead by Daylight is a live service game, and there’s always the possibility that unexpected changes may occur. Alas, one such time has come. We’re sad to announce that the Hellraiser Chapter, which includes Pinhead—known in game as The Cenobite—will no longer be available to unlock in Dead by Daylight starting on April 4th, 11 am ET.

If expiring rights is the culprit in this case, it's nothing new, and while the removal of Pinhead sucks as a matter of principle it's relatively painless compared to many other examples of digital impermanence—Forza Horizon 4, for example, was recently removed from sale entirely because of expiring license agreements.

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.

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