Aug 6

Dying Light - tech_skopyt

We are offering a glimpse into the increased gore and brutality levels of Dying Light: The Beast in a new trailer titled “Blood & Guts”. And if the title doesn't give it away, consider this a definitive warning: The video contains extremely brutal and graphic violence - watch it at your own risk!

From the first frame to the last, it delivers a non-stop montage of the most brutal moments of Dying Light: The Beast - including decapitations, bone-shattering slashes, blood-quenching stabs and cool finishers.

Ambition for the most brutal Dying Light yet

Dying Light has always been a franchise in which horror and primal brutality go hand in hand but Dying Light: The Beast elevates it to a new level. “We’ve dramatically increased the body horror to give you this feeling of fighting for pure survival and Kyle’s hunger for revenge,” says Tymon Smektała, Dying Light Franchise Director.

And it’s not just for show - the gore adds a lot of interactive storytelling and to the psychological horror as well: “It's one thing to see a health bar go down; it's another entirely to see the flesh peel away from bone or have a burnt and destroyed faces only inches away from you - that’s how nightmares are made!”

The level of brutality is driven by significant tech improvements to our in-house engine.

“We’ve overhauled the body damage system,” explains Nathan Lemaire, Game Director. “We doubled the number of places on enemies - we call them Gore-Nodes - where players can inflict damage and the number of wounds or injuries that are visible on one single enemy. And we improved the precision of melee attacks - so the angle and trajectory of your strike defines what you hit and how your enemies react to it. So you can target and cut off limbs more precisely than ever!”

The combinations of wounds, mutilations and damage is almost endless, making every fight in Dying Light: The Beast a raw spectacle of blood and gore. And while every combat will feel gory, the brutal finishers take it to the top, with nearly triple the number of finishers!

Techland takes blood & guts serious

To have a realistic representation of gore in Dying Light: The Beast, the art team went to some lengths. “We’ve improved all of the visuals of wounds and injuries and match them with all of the body types. The research was extensive - I just hope no one ever looks up my browser history,” says Dominik Wasieńko, Lead Character Artist.

A recent video showcased Techland's efforts to create more realistic blood for Dying Light: The Beast. Katarzyna Tarnacka-Polito adds: “Nothing out there provided us with the reality in blood splatter that we were looking for. So we bought a lot of fake blood and recreated what we needed in real-life with an actor.”

With 7 more weeks till launch, Techland is now even improving and adding a few more details to make it as brutal as possible. Dying Light: The Beast releases September 19, 2025 for PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 5 Pro and Xbox Series X|S.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3008130/Dying_Light_The_Beast/

Jun 26

Dying Light Retouched Update

Dying Light - pelikn_techland

First announced during our 10th Anniversary celebrations, the now-named Retouched Update for Dying Light is now live! So, if you want to rediscover the origins of the virus, replay through Kyle Crane’s origin story or enjoy Harran again, there’s never been a better time.

What exactly has arrived with the Retouched Update?

Higher resolution textures
Upscaled skyboxes & clouds
“Ultra”-level quality shadows
Fully remastered soundtrack from the original composer, Paweł Błaszczak
New tracks and ambient themes added to the game

Please note: The exact changes may vary by platform.

If you want to get into the more technical side, make sure to check out the latest DevBlog which will certainly cover what you want to know.

And this is just part of our commitment to making the Dying Light experience even better, so watch this space!

So, go see the enhancements for yourself and jump back into the shoes of Kyle in preparation for Dying Light: The Beast being unleashed on August 22!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/239140/Dying_Light/https://store.steampowered.com/app/3008130/Dying_Light_The_Beast/

Jun 24

Ten Years Later - Dying Light: Retouched Update Releasing June 26

Dying Light - pelikn_techland

It's been an absolutely wild month here at Techland! We're in the thick of what I'm calling the "Summer of Dying Light," delivering updates and big news across all three Dying Light games. Just a few weeks ago, we dropped the first gameplay for Dying Light: The Beast, revealed its release date, and kicked off pre-orders (if you haven't seen it, check out my last dev blog). I'm incredibly proud of what we're building with The Beast - it’s the culmination of more than 10 years of experience in open-world survival horror!

But here's the thing: we never forget where we came from. That's why, this week, we're not just looking forward - we're rolling out significant updates for both the original Dying Light and Dying Light 2: Stay Human. We promised to support our games for a long time, and we're committed to continuing that support, right through and beyond the launch of Dying Light: The Beast.

Let’s be clear: Enhancements, not Remaster!

Back in January, when we celebrated the 10th Anniversary of Dying Light, I announced that we are working on a new update for the original Dying Light. Ten years later and the game that started it all is still going strong! When I looked online the day after the video, my heart skipped a beat. Quite a few of you were expecting a full remaster of some sort.

So, let's set the record straight: the Retouched Update is about squeezing out even more from the Dying Light you already love. It’s not a complete overhaul or remaster.

Even without the update, Dying Light still holds up pretty well - just imagine that it’s 10 years old! But to truly explain what we've changed, I sat down with the brilliant minds who made it happen: Grzegorz Świstowski, our Technical Game Director, and Krzysztof Knefel, Lead 3D Artist:

"One of the best things about working with your own engine is that the people building it are just next door," explains Grzegorz Świstowski, our Technical Game Director. "Over the past couple of years, we've added a lot, customized a lot, and learned how to squeeze more from the tech we already have. One day, someone just started applying those learnings to some old assets - and it just clicked that we could do that across the whole game."

So we put some more people on it. We started increasing texture quality of surroundings and upscaling them to create a sharper, better look in the game. “It was a lot of manual work - but increasing the texture resolution or quality can have a huge impact on how the environment appears on screen,” said Krzysztof Knefel. Just look at the comparison of these wooden wall panels!

Krzysztof spent a lot of time by manually adjusting and tweaking assets, squeezing out every last bit of visual quality. A big part of this involved improving lighting and PBR (physics based rendering). “With so many years of experience with PBR we're improving how metallic surfaces reflect light or react physically to the world which makes them look a lot more realistic!” You can see the difference on the metal hangar walls below.

We also made some smaller tweaks and changes to the code that have a big impact on details in Harran. “We’ve increased the maximum LOD (level of detail) range from 260% to 340% in the view distance menu in the game options. This means players who are running on modern and better systems can increase the distance of highly detailed assets being loaded into the game and balance increased GPU/CPU load on their own,” explains Grzegorz Świstowski.

But one of the biggest differences will be visible on floors and cement walls. We’re introducing a new 8K Ultra shadow quality and improved the lighting options of many surfaces and with these new shadows, a lot of surfaces that previously looked rather flat now really pop out and get depth!

The Sound of Harran

Beyond just how it looks, we wanted to dial up the very atmosphere of Harran. Sound and music is crucial for immersion, and we’ve gone all out to make it an experience. The maestro himself, Paweł Blaszczak, the original composer, came back to give the soundtrack a complete remaster. Get this: he even recreated that retro-tape sound by actually recording on tape! Talk about dedication. It’s authentic, nostalgic, and absolutely fantastic.

We’ve woven in brand new tracks and ambient sounds throughout the game, deepening the mood and cranking up the tension as you explore. And we seriously juiced up the hit reaction audio in combat. Every swing, every crunch, every zombie takedown will sound more satisfying, more impactful. You’ll feel those hits.

Why it took a while

A lot of you have been asking in the last few months about the Retouched Update - where it was, why it was taking so long. The honest answer is this: We were working with 10+ year old technology. Even with all the new experience we've gained over the years, figuring out how to apply those learnings to the original Dying Light engine while keeping everything stable was a challenge.

And let me tell you, it was a massive amount of manual work. Krzysztof literally became the undisputed master of Harran: "I basically walked through the entire map, looking for assets to be improved. And all of those had to be changed manually by our artists."

Crucially, we also made it a top priority not to change the game's system requirements. "You can't just crank up the details and hope it still works on everyone's system," Grzegorz explains. "Especially on consoles – we were testing endlessly to ensure we didn't run out of memory on last-gen consoles." It was a delicate balancing act, but we cracked it. And now? It's finally ready!

Explore Kyle Crane’s origin story with this free update

The Dying Light: Retouched Update will be completely free for all Dying Light owners on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S and will roll out on June 26, 2025. The level of changes may vary by platform.

With the update out before the release of Dying Light: The Beast it’s the best time to jump right back into Kyle Crane’s origin story if you haven’t played Dying Light yet. And even if you have, it’s worth heading back to Harran.

Good night. And good luck!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/239140/Dying_Light/

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3008130/Dying_Light_The_Beast/

Jun 6

Dying Light: The Beast Releases August 22, 2025

Dying Light - pelikn_techland

Want to see what awaits you in this open world action survival horror? Check out the first gameplay trailer we just dropped and get a taste for the most beautiful zombie apocalypse, the scenic setting of Castor Woods and more. Releasing on August 22, 2025 on PC, PlayStation 5 Pro, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, Dying Light: The Beast will test your survival instincts and nerve like nothing else!

To increase your odds of outlasting the night and seeing the next sunrise, pre-order the game now to get the Hero of Harran Bundle as a bonus. And, of course, Dying Light 2: Stay Human Ultimate Edition owners will automatically get this bundle for The Beast, too!

Hero of Harran Bundle
Taking a trip through Castor Woods is a deadly detour for most people. Well, you’re not “most people”, especially with the Hero of Harran Bundle in your arsenal. Transform these terrains into your personal playground with its weapons, all while looking like a true post-apo survivor! Are you ready to take on Castor Woods?

The Hero of Harran Bundle features a set of items that won’t just help you in Castor Woods, but also honors the legacy of the Dying Light franchise. Some of them might just bring back the memories of your time in Harran:

Ultimate Survivor Outfit – Known as the Juggernaut outfit in Dying Light, this cool makeshift apocalyptic look was rewarded to the most dedicated survivors.
Harran Combat Knife (+ upgradable Blueprint) – A swift and deadly weapon, the zombie head engraving on the blade is a throwback to the original Dying Light’s box art.
The Follower Crossbow (+ upgradable Blueprint) – First found in Dying Light: The Following expansion, this crossbow is perfect for a stealthier approach.
In Jade’s Memory Pistol (+ upgradable Blueprint) – Jade Aldemir - she’s one of the reasons you made it out of Harran alive. With her likeness on the grip, think of her with every bullet you fire from this pistol.
Castor Woods Patrol – Rescuing hikers from the woods and cats from trees was a breeze for this powerful beast. Now put it to the real test and see how it handles the zombie apocalypse!

CONFRONT YOUR INNER BEAST TO UNLEASH THE HERO WITHIN

You are Kyle Crane, equal parts monster and survivor… for now. Praised as the “Hero of Harran” and a man who sacrificed himself to the point of infection, you became target no. 1 for the Baron’s brutal, beastly experiments. After being used as a human guinea pig for more than a decade and having your DNA spliced with zombie strains, you break out.

But you are not free. Now, an internal conflict begins as the virus takes over: it’s man vs. monster. You want more than anything to return to the old you, but he’s all but gone. However, you can still find the strength to make sure your human DNA remains dominant. And while these primal beast-like abilities may be seen as a curse, they may just give you the upper hand in your quest for revenge and, ultimately, rip the man who did this to you apart. One. Limb. At. A. Time.

And to do that, you’re going to need some help and this just might be the way to bring the old Crane back: the citizens of Castor Woods are in dire need of a savior and you’re their only hope. They’re counting on you as this world has turned against them. Can a beast be a hero in this world? Only if you can take control of it.

A ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE HAS NEVER LOOKED THIS BEAUTIFUL

Castor Woods, a place of beauty and a once idyllic location to visit. That was until the outbreak. Now, few people call this place home, but plenty of zombies and hidden dangers do. This region has its stories, but no one left to tell them, so investigate what lies beneath its facades, discover mementos of days gone and uncover secrets that were never meant to be revealed. Just remember: you might not like what you find. Is there anything more eerily beautiful?

But Castor Woods is more than just natural beauty. Take in the location, its fresh air and charm and you’ll understand that this varied landscape allows you to find your own way around the valley. Sneak through the gloomy forests and woodland, venture into the open swamps and wetlands, or if you’re lucky enough to find a working truck, jump in and put the pedal to the metal.

Lose yourself in this living and breathing locale, that’s so real you can feel the tension in the air. Experience dynamic and unpredictable weather that will affect how you play as it impacts your visibility, your environments and even how enemies behave. Plus, use the realistic interactions with your surroundings to your advantage: set a fire to burn your enemies, just maybe don’t try it in the middle of a rainstorm, or combine electricity with water to give your foes a shock.

THE MOST OPEN SURVIVAL HORROR YET

Dying Light: The Beast is unlike anything else in the genre. Building tension beyond narrow corridors or tight spaces, discover an experience that blends open-world freedom with intense, atmospheric survival horror, brutal combat and natural movement.

In this world, fear has nowhere to hide. To keep yourself alive to see another day, you’ll need to use all the tools in your arsenal. Outmaneuver enemies with your parkour skills, tear them limb from limb with visceral melee moves or bring out the big guns, like a UV grenade launcher or flamethrower. But never forget: ammo is a rarity here.

Surviving the day is a challenge, but the night is a whole nother beast. This is when the series’ apex predators, the Volatiles, come out to play. You’re in their domain now and your chances of survival have dramatically dropped, so don’t forget, running is a valid tactic; your movement skills will allow you to navigate Castor Woods like no one else can. Climb, leap and run across the open world and you might just make it to the temporary sanctuary of a safe zone instead of an early grave. But if you have to fight, you can always unleash the beast to head straight to the top of the food chain!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3008130/Dying_Light_The_Beast/