In the survival-horror video game Dead by Daylight, four survivors must face off against a gruesome killer—such as Halloween’s Michael Myers or Hellraiser’s Pinhead—and escape by repairing five generators that will power up the exit gates. Vaulting windows, dropping pallets, and blinding the killer with a flashlight are just a few of the clever ways to stay alive. It’s a grim situation, but underneath the gore are some curiously fabulous outfits. Many of the virtual characters run for their lives in fun Hawaiian shirts, grungy streetwear pieces, or even glitzy sequined gowns and heels.
Increasingly, gamers want their virtual characters to look good, even if their sole mission is to stay alive. Virtual cosmetics—as in the clothes, hair, and makeup with which you customize your character—are becoming important facets even in action or horror-focused games like Grand Theft Auto, Dead by Daylight, and Fortnite. “It’s a new trend, but it’s not a trend that’s going to die; It’s only getting more popular,” says Jo-Ashley Robert, an associate producer for Dead By Daylight who oversees the creation of characters and cosmetics. “For players, it’s a type of expression and immersion. By dressing your character how you want, it pushes the imagination a little further.”
The cosmetics in Dead By Daylight have become a hugely popular component of the game, and it’s no wonder. Each survivor has a personalized backstory and fashion sense to choose from. There’s Kate Denson, an aspiring musician with penchant for denim cut-offs and cowboy boots; Yun-Jin Lee, a Korean music producer who wears metallic ruffled blouses and flashy fur coats; and Nea Karlsson, an “urban artist” who wears beanies, ripped jeans, and carries around a skateboard. Players can customize each of these characters’ looks by purchasing new pieces in the web store with “auric cells,” the in-game currency. A premium outfit—in other words, a head-to-toe look—can go for almost 1,100 cells ($8.99 USD).
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Robert says the demand for these cosmetics has grown so much that the creative team now dedicates entire meetings to brainstorming cosmetic designs. “Many of our character concept artists have a background in fashion, and they look at the runways and fashion designers for inspiration,” says Robert, adding that a new character can take anywhere from two to three months to create. “We want to do storytelling through the clothing. We did that for The Trickster, our K-pop-themed killer [who wears a feather-shouldered evening coat, among other pieces]. He’s a showman, so we looked at the big Korean fashion designers.”
Many gaming brands are capitalizing on this growing appetite for fashion by delivering exclusive virtual outfits made in collaboration with designers or celebrities. Fortnite, for instance, was one of the first gaming platforms to really fuse high-fashion and gaming this year. Back in August, it partnered with superstar Ariana Grande to release the Rift Tour—a special, limited-edition event where gamers could play as Ariana herself, and dress her up in holographic mini dresses and her signature high ponytail (she can also kill her opponents with a huge pink hammer).
Soon after, in September, Balenciaga also collaborated with Fortnite. Within the game, characters can now dress in the brand’s signature Triple-S sneakers and backpacks. However, it’s not the first time Balenciaga has forayed into the gaming world. To debut the label’s fall 2021 collection last year, designer Demna Gvasalia released his very own video game titled Afterworld: The Age of Tomorrow, in which the in-game characters modeled his new pieces. After creating that game, Gvasalia started thinking about collaborating with Fortnite. “From there, we have continued to be inspired by the creativity of the Unreal and Fortnite communities,” says Gvasalia, referring to Unreal Engine, the game engine that powers both Fortnite and Afterworld. “It made total sense, to me, that we collaborate further by creating these authentic Balenciaga looks for Fortnite.”
Smaller brands have gotten in on the action, too. The Polish streetwear label MISBHV partnered with Grand Theft Auto V on virtual clothes earlier this year. MISBHV designed graphic streetwear looks—including hoodies and tees—that are worn in the game by the German DJ group Keinemusik. “Our first inspiration was to create clothes that would make sense for them both in the real world and in the world Rockstar has created,” says Thomas Wirski, MISBHV’s creative director. “The pieces were conceived real-world first: silhouettes, fabrications, and color combinations stemmed from an open dialogue with Keinemusik.”
In a way, it’s easy to understand the growing appeal of virtual clothes—both for the designers making them, and the fans buying them. For a moment, gaming offers one an escape from reality. Isn’t that what good fashion does? No matter the medium, creating clothing is still a technical process that fuses art and engineering. “We look at the texture and the material of the [virtual] clothing, the lighting of it, how it’s going to move in the game,” says Robert. “There are so many things that we need to take into account while making characters and their dress. It’s challenging.” That’s exactly why, Robert argues, “Character artists and concept artists are real artists.”