Horror-obsessed metalcore showmen ICE NINE KILLS have unveiled "Play Dead," a brand-new single and music video created in collaboration with the hit survival-horror video game "Dead By Daylight" to mark the game's tenth anniversary.
Written specifically for the milestone and premiered during the game's anniversary livestream, the track is paired with an in-game "Ice Nine Kills Collection" of downloadable content, knitting the band directly into a franchise that boasts more than 70 million players worldwide.
Frontman and creative mastermind Spencer Charnas described "Play Dead" as "a collision of hooks, horror, and total chaos" — a fitting tagline for a band that has spent two decades building cinematic lore around slasher cinema. The accompanying video continues part two of that established storyline and packs in a remarkable cast of cameos: skateboarding icon Tony Hawk, actor Devon Sawa ("Idle Hands"), horror actress Krsy Fox ("Terrifier 3") and "Dead By Daylight" creatives Mathieu Côté and Eric Pope.
Mat Côté, the game's head of partnerships, called the team-up "incredibly natural," pointing to the shared obsession with celebrating horror across every medium.
The release caps a hot stretch for the Massachusetts act. Their single "Twisting The Knife," featuring Mckenna Grace, recently topped Active Rock Radio and appeared in "Scream 7," while "A Work Of Art" served as the official song for "Terrifier 3," the highest-grossing unrated film ever. Charnas will also voice a character in the upcoming "Halloween: The Game," whose digital deluxe edition lands September 4, 2026.
With "Play Dead," ICE NINE KILLS continue to blur the line between band and horror brand, embedding their music ever deeper into the genre's films and games — and giving "Dead By Daylight" a fittingly theatrical anthem for its anniversary celebrations.