Dying Light: The Beast is finally here, and fans can now rest easy. This launch has been a rollercoaster after a recent delay, which pushed the title into September and more calender shuffling that had us worried that Kyle Crane's latest outing would stay firmly on our list of upcoming horror games instead of releasing in 2025.
However, now that the game is out, we can all enjoy the long-awaited zombie action, and trust us, Techland has made it worth the wait. Originally started life as DLC for Dying Light 2, the newDying Light game has become, well, a beast of its own, with Techland stating that The Beast "is Dying Light 3". Delivering a tighter narrative experience, fans can expect a more intense atmosphere and a much scarier tone this time around as we join Kyle Crane around 13 years after was presumed dead. As the next entry in one of the best zombie game series around, there are sky-high expectations, so if you are wondering if the game is the right fit for you before grabbing your wallet, then you've come to the right place.
Here we've made a complete guide on everything that you need to know about Dying Light: The Beast. From developer interviews in our big Horror Special 2025 coverage, to hands-on experience, and gameplay trailers, you'll find out why this is easily one of the biggest new games for 2025 so far.
Dying Light: The Beast release date
Dying Light: The Beast officially launched on September 18, 2025.
However, we've been waiting for the game for a while, and its launch wasn't without a few delays. In a previous statement from the studio, Techland announced the decision to delay the game and push it back slightly from its August 22, 2025, release date for "extra polishing work", though they have subsequently brought the Dying Light: The Beast release date forward a day to September 18.
Thankfully, the game is now available to buy, and fans can even choose between the standard and the deluxe edition, which comes with a bunch of extra goodies.
Dying Light: The Beast platforms
Dying Light: The Beast is available on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S platforms as of its release on September 18.
Personally, we played the game on PC and loved it. You can read more about our thoughts in our glowing 4.5-star Dying Light: The Beast review, as well as how it runs on that particular platform. We'll keep you posted if there are any issues on other platforms, but for now, it seems like you'll have an amazing time no matter your choice.
Dying Light: The Beast gameplay
Techland lifted the lid on Dying Light: The Beast's gameplay, thanks to a brilliant 30-minute deep dive demonstration shown above. The game retains the first-person action viewpoint you'll recall from Dying Light 1 and 2, only this time, the world is that much more alive. Dynamic weather and improved visuals make for sharper immersion, while the introduction of vehicles in the mainline series following their popularity in the first game's DLC sets a new precedent for the series going forward.
We also get a taste of what exactly makes Kyle Crane "The Beast". Much like The Hulk, Crane's mounting rage while taking or inflicting damage can cause him to lose control of his emotions and unleash his inner animal, ripping zombies apart with his bare hands in a fit of untamed anger.
It's a far cry from the management sim-esque nature of Aiden's biomarker in Dying Light 2, turning emotion into a resource in itself, as players will no doubt need to balance Kyle's agitation to ensure he doesn't lose his cool at the wrong time. In my hands-on preview, I was able to use Beast Mode to my advantage to charge it up strategically before facing down terrifying Chimeras (huge new mutant zombies whose DNA Kyle extracts to power up his Beast Mode powers).
Besides Kyle's anger management issues, Dying Light: The Beast retains all the key gameplay features we expect from the series. Think up close and personal melee combat, parkouring around zombie-infested streets, crafting all manner of survival tools... and this time, a greater focus being put on gunplay, too.
Speaking with GamesRadar+, franchise director Tymon Smektala said that the guns in Dying Light: The Beast will "feel on par with melee combat", and the open-world setting is like a "a secret mystery box" where "very f**ked up things" happen.
You can learn more in our latest hands-on preview, or watch the video above to see what we made of our 4-hour playtime with the newly released game.
Is Dying Light: The Beast DLC or a standalone game?
Now, here's an interesting situation. Speaking to GamesRadar+ at Gamescom 2024, Dying Light franchise director Tymon Smektala explained that The Beast actually started development as a DLC expansion for Dying Light 2, but eventually morphed into a fully standalone game.
This partly coincided with an expanded scope, but also a pretty severe leak in which multiple story details for The Beast were circulated online. Speaking with GamesRadar+ at Gamescom 2024, Smektala touched on how Dying Light came to be, and pointed to one pivotal moment being the response to a big story leak.
"We have a very eager community to learn everything about Dying Light, and they managed to dig out some details - very juicy, basically crucial details about the narrative," he said.
"So this made us think, 'OK, what can we do with this?' We had a week-long set of meetings where we discussed different scenarios. The conclusion of those meetings was the idea to bring Kyle Crane back. At first, we weren't sure because we weren't sure if we could get Roger [Craig Smith, Kyle's voice actor] back on it, and without the man, it would make no sense."
Dying Light: The Beast developer interview
Above, you can watch an in-depth interview with franchise director Smektala, who talks everything Dying Light: The Beast, such "areas of perfection that we cannot mess up to any extent" when it comes to the creating games in the series.
How long is Dying Light: The Beast?
Dying Light: The Beast is longer than anticipated initially. The story is "20 hours", according to franchise director Tymon Smektala, with an additional "20 to 30 hours more" on offer in terms of side content.
That's quite a bit longer than the previously stated "18+ hours" average Techland had given earlier in the year, but given how much the game seems to have evolved in 2025 alone, I'm more excited than ever to get stuck in.
Dying Light: The Beast trailer
It’s the trailer just above that announced Dying Light: The Beast to the world at Gamescom 2024. The trailer sets up the overarching storyline of the new game as returning protagonist Kyle Crane embarks on a mission of vengeance against the mysterious people who held him captive for over a decade.
It turns out Crane has been infected with zombie DNA, which grants him the supremely powerful abilities we’re seeing in the trailer just above. Additionally, The Beast’s trailer makes it abundantly clear that Crane did, in fact, survive the events of both the original Dying Light and its DLC expansion, The Following.
The Dying Light: The Beast release window announcement trailer above, titled "Meet the Baron," debuted at The Game Awards 2024. In it, audiences are introduced to the undoubtedly evil Baron, most likely the game's main antagonist, and have a glimpse into how Kyle Crane managed to escape captivity. Along with new first-person combat and vehicle gameplay, the trailer ends with a splash screen confirming its targeted Summer 2025 release window. Better start those knee stretches, because it's almost time to parkour through another zombie-infested dystopia.
For more brand new titles set to launch next year and beyond, you can read up on our upcoming PS5 games guide for a list of Sony’s exclusives and our upcoming Xbox Series X/S games guide for a look at Microsoft’s titles.
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