Key points
- The Beast is Techland's latest project in its Dying Light franchise, bringing back fan favorite Kyle Crane in a new standalone adventure.
- That venture was born out of some damaging leaks, however, Techland claims to have “re-motivated” them when it comes to Dying Light.
- Elsewhere, a Techland insider called the project a dream.
While Dying Light: The Beast was largely made in response to leaks, the upcoming DLC-turned-standalone title has revitalized Techland in all the best ways. This energy has pushed the Polish video game developer and publisher to continue wanting to cultivate its zombie-based franchise.
As part of an interview with Play Magazine and as transcribed by GamesRadar, director Tymon Smektala shared that the team is “remotivated” since shifting gears to turn The Beast from DLC into something of its own. The Beast, according to Smektala, “re-motivated us to work on Dying Light”.
The losses could have been detrimental
For those who may not remember, Techland suffered a series of leaks ahead of the release of Dying Light 2 in 2022. In addition to detailing the first two hours of the yet-to-be-released game, reluctant future plans and concepts were also brought to light , including material for what is now The Beast.
The Techland team didn't want to proceed as usual, especially knowing that its most devoted Dying Light fans had likely been exposed to the leaks, either by choice or via bad actors. As a result, The Beast was born from some of the planned ideas, along with some new concepts.
Kyle Crane is back and this has artistic director Katarzyna Tamcka excited as this is her dream project. The team also managed to bring back Roger Craig Smith to reprise his role as Crane. Currently, his goal is to “focus on that and immerse yourself in every moment.” Meanwhile, the rest of Techland is equally excited, despite some initial jitters and reported “agitation” due to nervousness about the scope and future of the game.
That said, those nerves are gone and it looks like The Beast is in full swing. While it doesn't have a release date, or even a release window, it's probably safe for players to put their faith in Techland based on these comments.
