The surprisingly successful open-world horror game 7 Days to Die – it’s sold more than 20 million copies – has been bought by Dead by Daylight developer Behaviour Interactive for an undisclosed amount of money.
The acquisition was announced in various places today, including in a blog post update for 7 Days to Die on Steam. There, developer Fun Pimps wrote: “7 Days to Die started back in Thanksgiving 2012, when two brothers cooked up a game idea at the dinner table. 13 years later, that idea has grown into something far bigger than we ever imagined, with over 20 million copies sold and a community that’s been with us every step of the way.
“There is still so much we want to do, and we’ve always believed the future of our game could be even greater than what we’ve shipped so far. This partnership means more support for 7 Days to Die moving forward. We’ll continue to lead development, just as we always have, but now, with Behaviour’s help, we’ll be able to grow the team and deliver even more for the game and our community.
“Nothing about the heart of the game is changing. Our vision stays the same, our team stays the same, and our focus remains on the community that has carried 7 Days to Die for over a decade. This is simply the next step in a long journey, and we’re excited to take it with you.”
In an adjoining video, co-founder Richard Huenik – one of those brothers mentioned above – added that, “7 Days has come far but it’s still not where we want it to be, and there are still so many amazing things we still want to add to the game. But a dream this big cannot be achieved alone.
“We understand that some of you may have concerns about this change but for us, this about getting the support and resources needed to tackle our most ambitious ideas, and deliver with a partner that loves horror as much as we do.
“It’s not about handing over control or stepping away from what we built. We chose Behaviour because they believe in 7 Days, what the game can become, and our team’s ability to realise that potential. They share our philosophies on everything from community to modding, so in case you’re wondering, we’re not going anywhere.”
Heunik clarified that with the new investment, The Fun Pimps will be able to expand its art, engineering, design, community and support teams to expand 7 Days to Die in the ways it wants to. A Reddit Q&A with the 7 Days to Die team is scheduled for tomorrow, 25th March.
We first looked at 7 Days to Die back when it launched in alpha in 2014 – when it looked very different to today. Its peers at the time were Project Zomboid, DayZ and Rust; and, no, they’re still around too. We haven’t reappraised 7 Days to Die since its full 2024 launch, but it holds a “very positive” overall rating on Steam, which is encouraging. As one user there helpfully pointed out, “This game is: 10 percent luck, 20 percent skill, 15 percent concentrated power of will, five percent pleasure, 50 percent pain, 100 percent reason to purchase the game.” The sheer poetry of it.
Behaviour also recently bought another horror-themed studio in the shape of Darkest Dungeon developer Red Hook. That purchase happened in autumn 2024. The horror portfolio grows.
