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![Is 'Dead By Daylight's New Killer 'The Unknown' Transphobic? The Zoey Alexandria Controversy Explained The Unknown Zoey Alexandria](https://i.kym-cdn.com/editorials/icons/mobile/000/008/237/fp1g.jpg)
Is 'Dead By Daylight's New Killer 'The Unknown' Transphobic? The Zoey Alexandria Controversy Explained
Behaviour Interactive just released the newest update for their massively popular survival horror video game Dead by Daylight, but some members of the trans community aren't happy with its new killer, The Unknown. Among those unhappy is the character's own voice actor, Zoey Alexandria, a trans voice actor who has expressed concerns over the character's appearance. Here's what you need to know.
Who Is 'Zoey Alexandria' And 'The Unknown' From 'Dead By Daylight?'
On March 12th, 2024, the "All Things Wicked" update was released for Dead by Daylight, an online survival horror game that has several human players attempt to survive against one "killer" player. There are several killers available to choose from, many of which resemble terrifying monsters. This is the case for the newest killer, The Unknown, voiced by trans actress Zoey Alexandria.
In its lore, The Unknown is described as a genderless shapeshifter that can "adapt its appearance as needed." Ultimately, it's a mysterious creature that's often depicted in the game as a twisted humanoid with a voice that fluctuates between masculine and feminine. It also has several costumes, some of which are more masculine and some more feminine, including one that depicts the creature in a pink cheerleader's outfit.
Why Are People Calling 'The Unknown' Transphobic?
In the days following the update's release, some members of the trans community and web users in general voiced concerns over The Unknown's model in relation to the fact that it's voiced by a trans voice actor. Some called The Unknown a "stereotype" and an offensive depiction of trans people.
Among those people were the voice actor, Zoey Alexandria, who made a lengthy post calling out the character model. According to Alexandria, she didn't know what the character would look like when voicing it, only seeing the model after the fact. She wrote that she would have never voiced it had she known, claims she received transphobic harassment after the character's release and wrote that she wants "reparations" from Behaviour Interactive over the incident.
![>New Dead by Daylight killer is a deformed freak in a skirt Rawrell @_rawrell >New Dead by Daylight killer is a deformed freak in a skirt >voiced by a trans VA What in the ever-living H*CK did the devs mean by this? Maxidaxy GREEN BILLEN THIS OUTFIT 250 250 UN](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/002/775/284/588.jpg)
![Zoey Alexandria's Response To 'The Unknown' Zoey Alexandria 1 hour ago (edited) Regarding My Recent Viral Witch-Hanging: I voiced the character "the unknown" in dead by daylight. At the time of voicing, it was a great experience. I was told at the time I was voicing the character that there was no model and that the creature was supposed to be amorphous. They had no model design before I recorded my lines. So it's my assumption that the design team, took my medical history, and my ability to use multiple voices as an opportunity to create character models that encapsulate my medical history as trans, and capitalize on catering to the transphobic community. I was tricked into voicing a stereotype. Since yesterday, I have been virally harassed for being trans, by thousands of people since yesterday. Many folks in the trans community are up in arms over this and rightfully so. I feel that reparations from the team that deliberately tricked me is the only logical next choice of action. I am so upset, so infuriated that people are comparing trans-people to these clearly TRANSPHOBIC character skins. If I had any idea of the fallout that would happen after simply voicing a character, I never would have in the first place. Let me personally apologize to anybody who has been a victim of transphobia due to this release. Please know you are loved. Know that you are valid. As for me, I am not okay. This has ruined my reputation, has put me physically at risk for being attacked in public if anybody recognizes my face or voice. There were no diversity consultants on this project. The company knew that making a stereotypical "man in a dress" as a character and having a TRANS voice actress voice it, would bring lots of money and people back to the game. I'm not dumb, I know how marketing works. This seems to be a huge ploy and the trans-community along with myself were the victims.](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/002/775/285/da0.jpg)
Alexandria later clarified her statement through an additional X post, writing that some people "misunderstood" her original post and urging people not to call Behaviour or its employees transphobic. She writes that "Behavior is allegedly aware of the mass transphobic remarks and memes being made, and the gaming community is not a reflection of the game developers."
She writes that she is upset because of the "lack of communication" between the company and herself regarding the appearance of The Unknown. She continues, writing, "It’s wrong to take bits of info and jump to your own conclusions. Behavior is a good company, and has been nothing but kind and supporting through this tough process of receiving mass harassment for my involvement in the character."
![Zoey Alexandria "There has been a recent misunderstanding" Zoeyalexandriaofficial @Zoeyalexandria9 There has been a recent misunderstanding. Anybody that thinks the skins are going away is not in the loop. Behavior is allegedly aware of the mass transphobic remarks and memes being made, and the gaming community is not a reflection of the game developers. I wasn't kept in the loop with what the characters final look would be, I was given an ambiguous description for the part, and even though I tried my best to find out more, continually asking for more info, that wasn't possible. This is why I was upset. The skins themselves were never the issue. Lack of communication was. Please STOP "Boycotting" Behavior. They are NOT transphobic, it's wrong to take bits of info and jump to your own conclusions. Behavior is a good company, and has been nothing but kind and supporting through this tough process of receiving mass harassment for my involvement in the character. Leave. It. A..lo-ne. - Zoey Alexandria Last edited 3:32 PM Mar 14, 2024 25.8K Views](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/002/775/289/447.jpg)
For the full history of the Zoey Alexandria "The Unknown" Transphobia Controversy, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.
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bmxbandit
Mar 15, 2024 at 12:45PM EDT
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