Get ready to uncover everything about Dying Light: The Beast! This exciting new standalone game, initially conceived as DLC for Dying Light 2, has evolved into a massive project. Its scope expanded significantly with the decision to bring back the beloved original protagonist, Kyle Crane, turning it into a completely fresh adventure.
“Dying Light: The Beast” promises to reignite the series’ signature horror, plunging players into terrifying new environments. The narrative skillfully connects to the first two games, while also setting the stage for future installments. Let’s delve into everything we know about this thrilling zombie experience, including its release date and what to expect from the game itself.
(Image: An in-game screenshot showing a desolate, overgrown environment, hinting at the new settings in Dying Light: The Beast.)
Dying Light: The Beast Release Date
Mark your calendars! Dying Light: The Beast launched on Thursday, September 18, 2025, after a brief delay. This highly anticipated new chapter is available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.
In late July 2025, the developers confirmed a one-month delay, emphasizing their commitment to delivering a polished experience. The extra development time was dedicated to crucial improvements, including balance adjustments, user interface refinements, enhanced physics, and tweaks to cutscenes and player animations.
For those who own the Dying Light 2 Ultimate Edition, there’s great news: “The Beast” is available to you for free, as it was originally conceived as a DLC. Unfortunately, this edition is no longer sold, so if you don’t already possess it, you will need to purchase the new standalone game separately.
(Video: The official release date trailer for Dying Light: The Beast, unveiled at Summer Game Fest 2025, featuring glimpses of The Baron and Kyle Crane’s journey for revenge.)
Dying Light: The Beast Trailers
The compelling release date trailer, first shown at Summer Game Fest 2025, introduces us to the game’s formidable antagonist: The Baron. This villain is responsible for 13 years of torture and experimentation on our hero, Kyle Crane.
Crane’s powerful voiceover in the trailer adds significant emotional weight, as he passionately declares, “he will pay for what he did to me. All the years he took from me, all the agony he put me through.” This intense threat, combined with scenes of Crane brutally dispatching The Baron’s monstrous creations, underscores his deep thirst for revenge, promising players a gritty and gore-filled quest for retribution.
(Video: An announcement trailer for Dying Light: The Beast, highlighting its spooky forest and swamp biomes.)
Prior to this, the announcement trailer from the developers set a chilling tone, showcasing the game’s eerie forest atmosphere. It depicted armed soldiers navigating a desolate, abandoned building, stumbling upon countless dead bodies, all while an unseen, sinister presence watched from the shadows.
The game unfolds in a new region called Castor Rock, bringing back the iconic Kyle Crane. After enduring years of horrific experiments, Crane is once again a formidable force, effortlessly navigating the environment with parkour and fiercely combating hordes of zombies. The trailer offers tantalizing glimpses of this fluid traversal, showing Kyle swinging between crumbling structures, dashing across train tracks, and driving through dilapidated facilities.
Crucially, the new dark forest and swamp biomes are central to “Dying Light: The Beast’s” renewed focus on horror; these environments were specifically designed to instill terror. The series’ iconic day-night cycle remains a pivotal element. As game director Smektała notes, “that’s something that scares a lot of people, being alone in the woods at night, and this is something you can actually experience as you play.” While players may feel empowered during daylight, the arrival of night ushers in a new era of lurking beasts and profound danger. Smektała explains, “You use a flashlight and there are lots of shadows, and it’s not that easy to understand what those shadows are. Is it a monster or is it just a shadow?”
(Video: Another trailer for Dying Light: The Beast, offering more insights into the game’s atmosphere and enemies.)
Dying Light: The Beast Story
The narrative of “Dying Light: The Beast” unfolds 13 years after the conclusion of the original Dying Light. In the intervening period between the first and second games, Kyle Crane was captured and subjected to horrific experiments by a shadowy new adversary. Now, our resilient hero is driven by an intense desire for revenge.
“The Beast” endeavors to close the narrative gap between the franchise’s two main titles, addressing lingering questions that Dying Light 2 deliberately left unanswered. Smektala highlights that Crane’s post-capture experience offers him a fresh perspective on the world, a viewpoint that will resonate with new players encountering the Dying Light universe for the very first time.
While trailers have offered subtle hints of the antagonist, The Baron, his full appearance remains shrouded in mystery – a deliberate choice by the developers. Smektała explains that players will uncover more about him and his lineage as they progress through the game, emphasizing, “I think he’s the biggest threat Kyle has ever faced.” He further elaborated, “we don’t really want to reveal him fully. We just want to show some of the actions that he’s doing and some of the things he surrounds himself with, but we don’t really want to showcase him 100 percent and make everything about him obvious.”
(Image: Gameplay footage of Kyle Crane engaging in combat with a mutated enemy, showcasing the game’s intense action.)
Dying Light: The Beast Gameplay
Gameplay in “Dying Light: The Beast” heavily emphasizes survival elements. The developers previously stated that while weapons are available, they aren’t a guaranteed solution for every challenge. Weapon durability means careful management is key, and firearm ammunition is a rare commodity. Even vehicles, while effective for mowing down zombies, are susceptible to damage, adding another layer of strategic consideration.
A direct consequence of his horrific experiments, Kyle Crane now possesses the terrifying ability to transform into a monster, utilizing a new skill tree filled with beastly powers to eliminate his foes. The popular four-player co-op mode also makes a comeback in “The Beast,” along with the iconic day-night cycle, which further intensifies the survival aspect, demanding constant awareness of the changing dangers as dusk approaches.
During Summer Game Fest 2025, we had the opportunity to play “Dying Light: The Beast” and were thoroughly impressed. In our preview, we noted that while the game features a greater emphasis on vehicles and firearms compared to Dying Light 2, the series’ defining hallmarks – particularly its fluid parkour and visceral melee combat – remain central to the experience.
The game’s director, Tymon Smektala, explained that “Dying Light: The Beast is much more zombie-centric.” While players will still encounter survivors and various groups, their presence in the open world will be significantly reduced, shifting the focus squarely onto the undead menace.
That wraps up our comprehensive look at Dying Light: The Beast! For more thrilling adventures, keep an eye on upcoming game releases and explore other fantastic survival games available. You can also revisit the iconic city of Harran in the original Dying Light to refresh your memory of Kyle Crane’s initial journey and story.