Dying Light: The Beast Justifies its Full Price, Says Techland
Techland has firmly stated that Dying Light: The Beast, which was originally conceived as a mere downloadable content (DLC) expansion for Dying Light 2: Stay Human, is well worth its $60 price tag. This confidence stems from the project's significant growth and evolution into a standalone title, as explained by franchise director Tymon Smektała in an interview with TheThumbWars.
Smektała addressed direct questions regarding the perceived price increase, given its past as a DLC. He clarified, "The only price for Dying Light: The Beast is the one we are asking for it now, so it’s hard to call it an increase. But I suppose the question relates to how we are positioning the game as the next big adventure in the series, which we didn’t do when the title was first announced. The simple answer is it grew, especially over six months at the end of last year and the beginning of this one."
The team found renewed inspiration during development, particularly with the return of Kyle Crane as the protagonist. Smektała noted, "We realized that Kyle Crane as the protagonist did something to all of us – it energized, inspired, and created a desire to make this project special. We kept adding, upgrading, tuning, improving the underlying technology, and one day we realized that Dying Light: The Beast could be the best Dying Light we’ve ever made."
More Than Just DLC: Expansive Content and Player Feedback
Smektała asserts that "by all metrics," the game surpassed initial plans for a typical expansion. This includes an increased number of missions, cutscenes, unique characters, enemies, and secrets. The main story alone is expected to take around 20 hours to complete, with side activities potentially extending playtime to over 40 hours. Smektała himself completed a playthrough in 37 hours, which wasn't even a 100% run.
The interview also touched upon the reintroduction and significance of firearms in The Beast. While guns were largely absent from Dying Light 2: Stay Human due to world-building considerations, Techland listened closely to community feedback. Smektała explained, "Our community told us what they really wanted. In Dying Light: The Beast, we went all-in, created an entire team dedicated to firearms, and invested time and resources." The goal was to achieve a level of quality competitive with other games releasing in 2025.
When asked about the future of firearms in the series, Smektała concluded, "If we decide to make a Dying Light set in Pompeii, then probably not, but certainly The Beast is not the last Dying Light in which they will appear."
Release Details and Future Plans
Dying Light: The Beast will launch digitally first, though a physical release in the future is not being ruled out. Post-launch support is also being discussed, but specific details remain under wraps. Techland currently has no plans to release the game on Game Pass.
Other topics covered in the interview included Kyle's superpowers, co-op play, the canon of the first game, and the possibility of Dying Light 3. The full interview provides even more insights into the developer's vision.
Despite a recent delay, Dying Light: The Beast is now slated for release on September 19, 2025. It will be available on PC (Steam, Epic Games Store), Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5, with full Russian localization confirmed. For players, this means anticipating a much larger and more polished experience than a typical DLC, justifying the full game price through its expanded content and refined gameplay mechanics.
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