At Summer Game Fest 2025, Wccftech’s Kai Tatsumoto had an exciting conversation with Tymon Smektala, the Franchise Director of Techland’s iconic Dying Light series, to discuss the upcoming release, Dying Light: The Beast. This game is set to make waves in the world of open-world survival horror.
Smektala shared some interesting insights about the game’s development and the studio’s future plans, particularly their desire to shorten game development cycles.
One of the most significant revelations was that Techland is aiming to release games more frequently. After the extensive development of Dying Light 1 and Dying Light 2: Stay Human, which each took about seven years to complete, the studio is eager to cut that timeline down. Smektala expressed that with a more focused approach, Techland could potentially release new titles every 3 to 4 years. This is a major shift in strategy compared to the traditional AAA game development cycle, which has been stretching longer and longer.
Initially, Dying Light: The Beast was planned as a DLC for Dying Light 2: Stay Human, but as the project evolved, Techland realized they had something bigger on their hands. Smektala defended the decision to release it as a standalone game, emphasizing that this title is not just a simple expansion but a full-fledged continuation of the series, featuring the return of fan-favorite character Kyle Crane. He believes the game will be the best in the series, pushing the boundaries of what players expect from Dying Light.
With a release set for late August 2025, there will only be about three and a half years between the release of Dying Light 2: Stay Human and Dying Light: The Beast, which is a bold move for Techland. This strategy contrasts with the increasing trend in the gaming industry, where titles can take five years or more to develop. Whether Techland can successfully maintain this accelerated pace of development remains to be seen, but fans are certainly excited to see how this new chapter of the Dying Light series unfolds.
Stay tuned for our upcoming full interview with Tymon Smektala, where we dive deeper into Techland’s plans for the future.