Dying Light The Beast arrives as standalone follow-up in Castor Woods

Techland on Thursday released Dying Light The Beast, a standalone follow up to the studio's decade-old zombie franchise that returns players to the role of Kyle Crane and to a new wilderness setting called Castor Woods. The game arrived on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S on Sept. 18, 2025, a day earlier than originally announced, and will reach PlayStation 4 and Xbox One later this year, the developer said.

The Beast continues Crane's story after years of captivity and experimentation at the hands of a villain known as the Baron. Techland published a "Story So Far" video ahead of launch summarizing Crane's arc from the original game and The Following DLC, including his capture by the Global Relief Effort and subsequent imprisonment, and warning viewers that the recap contains spoilers. The new game picks up years after those events with Crane having escaped and pursuing revenge while wrestling with the physical and psychological effects of the experiments that have left him part human and part monster.

Critics and early reviews praise the title's return to the series' core strengths: visceral first person parkour, brutal melee combat and high-stakes night encounters...