EXCLUSIVE: Meet the hosts of Dead by Daylight’s #IntoTheRainbow – Negaoryx and Juice Boxx
To celebrate Pride month, queer favourite Dead by Daylight will be holding #IntoTheRainbow, a new livestream event in celebration of the queer community this Friday, June 18th, 12-5pm ET (5-10pm UK, 9am-2pm PT) on the Dead by Daylight Twitch channel.
Hosted by Negaoryx (veteran LGBTQ Fog Whisperer) and Juice Boxx (Canada’s Drag Race), the stream will see two teams of five duke it out in Dead by Daylight, all for a good cause!
For the duration of the stream, the team will be running a live community fundraiser with all proceeds generated being donated to the Trevor Project. The Trevor Project does incredible work on suicide prevention within the LGBTQIA2+ community at a national level for over 20 years. In addition to the fundraiser for the Trevor Project, Behaviour Interactive wants to support local causes to them and so will be making a donation to Project10, a Quebec based organisation focused on providing support and services to LGBTQIA2S+ youth.
I had the pleasure of chatting to the hosts ahead of the stream about what we can expect
Hey both, happy Pride! How excited are you for the #IntoTheRainbow stream?
Juice Boxx: I am SO excited for #IntoTheRainbow! What a cool opportunity!
Negaoryx: I’m counting down the days! I am incredibly grateful to be involved in this event, and to get to play a part in spotlighting so many incredible LGBTQIA+ streamers to the DBD community while fundraising for wonderful causes, as well. I’m so excited to watch what will undoubtedly be some great matches between seriously skilled players, too!
Without any spoilers, can you tease us with what’s in store?
Juice Boxx: All I can say is that there will be a huge amount of talented pals and maybe some cool cosplay?!
Negaoryx: Definitely cool cosplay! It’s going to spotlight some seriously incredible drag performers in the community, we’ll have interviews to get to know some of our DBD partners better, and of course, it will celebrate all of the wonderful members of the LGBTQIA+ community that play and love Dead by Daylight!
Juice, I spoke to you a few months ago and we talked about your love of Dead by Daylight. What does it mean to you to be hosting this awesome Pride-themed live stream?
Juice Boxx: It’s WILD! I honestly didn’t think I would ever get asked to do something like this being so new to streaming but I am insanely honoured to be a part of something so cool on a game I really love.
There’s a huge crossover between drag and cosplay. Which characters do you think would be the best inspiration for drag looks?
Juice Boxx: OMG! Trickster for a drag king would be SO GOOD! I’ve seen some really hot nurse cosplays and my pal Penelope Strange has maybe THE best Huntress drag cosplay look.
Negs, you’re a veteran Fog Whisperer, for those who are uninitiated, what is a Fog Whisperer, and how long have you been playing DbD for?
Negaoryx: Fog Whisperers are partners of Dead by Daylight who help build communities around the game by creating content and providing their viewers with occasional exclusive perks. Dead by Daylight also offers us resources to support our content and our growth in the industry. Fog Whisperers come from all walks of life, genders, languages, countries, etc. which makes for a very diversified group!
I have owned Dead by Daylight for years and years, but had always been nervous that it’d be too violent for me to stomach until I got burnt out in 2019 and was struggling to find games that motivated me to make content. I picked up my unused copy of DBD in January of 2020 and streamed it non-stop for months after. I found the community at large to be incredibly helpful and supportive as I learned the game on stream, and it led to me forming friendships that I’m sure will be lifelong, as well.
How awesome is that DbD are doing this Pride-themed stream for their loyal LGBTQ fans?
Negaoryx: I’m thrilled that Dead by Daylight is hosting this event for us to celebrate Pride together; especially on the heels of 2020, when so many of us have been quarantined and physically separated from coming together for in-person gatherings, it means so much for Behaviour to give us this space to celebrate one another, spotlight creators to viewers who might not know them yet, and above all, to feel a strong sense of community at a time when we need it most.
I think it’s also incredibly important to show to the fanbase of DBD at large that Behaviour is prioritizing not just inclusion of LGBTQIA+ players, but truly championing and celebrating them, as well. Being vocal about how important LGBTQIA+ players are to the community is a step in the right direction for making it clear that bigotry and hatred have no place within this community, and I’m grateful to see Behaviour sending that message.
What do you think attracts LGBTQ people specifically to Dead by Daylight?
Juice Boxx: I know that the LGBTQ community has close ties to the horror genre, so I think being able to actively play with some of your favourite killers from iconic films really resonates with a lot of people.
Negaoryx: Absolutely, so much horror media comes from queer creators telling queer stories; it’s a natural fit in present-day for so many of us to carry that love for and connection to the horror genre over to the video games we play. DBD brings together so many iconic horror IPs mixed with fantastic original creations from the Behaviour team, and unlike other popular online games, DBD does not feature voice comms in-game. Some members of the LGBTQIA+ community get discouraged from using voice comms in other games due to harassment from other players, so the lack of this feature in DBD is a plus for many.
When playing survivor, DBD allows us to come together against a common enemy and play cooperatively to escape as a team. Subconsciously or not, I think that’s a concept that resonates strongly with many of us, and can lead to a greater sense of community and empowerment.
#IntoTheRainbow is raising money for the Trevor Project and Project 10, two very worthy causes. How important is it to you that we not only have a great time on stream, but also raise money for good causes too?
Juice Boxx: It’s Pride season, which is always fun, but we have to remember that Pride is a protest and about sexual liberation. So, raising money for causes like the Trevor Project is SO important. If we just concentrate on the fun, we lose the true meaning of what we’re fighting for. If you can donate, please donate at tiltify.com/@deadbydaylight/intotherainbow/donate
Negaoryx: Gaming for good is something that has always been at the core of my ethos online, and I can’t begin to say how much it means to me to play even a small role in hosting an event like this. The work being done by The Trevor Project and Project10 is so incredibly important in allowing members of the LGBTQIA+ community to not just survive but to truly thrive as their most authentic selves, each and every day. The impact they have upon members of the LGBTQIA+ community spans far and wide, and is truly crucial in saving lives and providing support to those who need it. It’s wonderful to see so many DBD players and fans come together not just to play games, but to make a lasting, impactful difference within our community, as well.
Finally, the new Resident Evil chapter is now live, how excited are you for this crossover?
Juice Boxx: As an adorable survivor main, anytime new survivors come up I get so geeked, and Leon is so fine… when can we get a shirtless skin for him?! David isn’t enough for me!
Negaoryx: Haha Juice! I got to check out the Resident Evil chapter on the PTB a few weeks ago, and I was genuinely shocked by how accurate the chapter was, down to every last detail. It’s not an easy task, bringing an IP to life in a different game, faithfully recreating a universe while still adjusting them to feel at home in Dead by Daylight. I think the team has done a really incredible job with balancing both in a way that will hopefully please fans of Resident Evil and DBD alike. I truly think it’s the most impressive chapter we’ve ever seen in DBD, and I can’t wait to explore it more!
Are there any other crossovers you’d love to see in the future?
Juice Boxx: Chucky or The Bride of Chucky would be a GAG! Just these small dolls running around stabbing us… obsessed!
Negaoryx: I’m a huge fan of Jordan Peele’s work, I think the characters and settings from Us are a natural fit for DBD, and deserve a spot alongside horror icons like Freddy Krueger, Michael Myers, Leatherface, etc. The idea of having the inimitable Lupita Nyong’o in-game as both Red and Adelaide feels like a really unique Killer/Survivor dynamic we haven’t seen in DBD yet, and I think the tie-in map could be really innovative for the game, as well – whether it’s the hall of mirror maze at the Santa Cruz boardwalk, or the rabbit room, I think it’d be a phenomenal collaboration and a strong IP to bring to Dead by Daylight.
Watch #IntoTheRainbow this Friday, June 18th, 12-5pm ET (5-10pm UK, 9am-2pm PT) on the Dead by Daylight Twitch channel.
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