Dying Light 2 Release Date And All The Latest Details

When is the Dying Light 2 release date? Techland announced Dying Light 2 at E3 2018 and we have all the latest trailers and gameplay details here, including a rough Dying Light 2 release date.

Dying Light 2 was announced during Microsoft’s E3 2018 press conference and we’ve already seen more details of what to expect from the gameplay, setting, and story from the 2019 E3 trailer. Techland is massively expanding Dying Light 2’s parkour movement – it’s safe to say that this isn’t going to be your typical undead shooter.

Dying Light 2 is set in a decaying city that is struggling to keep itself together amid competing factions, so you will have a lot more to deal with than undead monstrosities. Decisions you make and the groups you team up with will shape the world around you, allowing you to reap the ensuing rewards if you can stomach the consequences. Here are all the latest details about Dying Light 2, including the Dying Light 2 release date and the latest trailers.

Dying Light 2 Release Date

The Dying Light 2 release date will land in 2021, according to a developer update video.

Dying Light 2 previously had a release window of spring 2020, before Techland announced that the immensely anticipated sequel had been delayed indefinitely. Since then, Techland pushed back on reports that Dying Light 2 is in development hell. The delay was announced via the official Dying Light 2 Twitter account, take a look below:

Hey Survivors!
Here’s the Dying Light 2 Development Update. pic.twitter.com/CKMkAe2eD7

— Dying Light (@DyingLightGame) January 20, 2020

Unfortunately, a precise launch day is still under wraps, but we’ll let you know when you can get back to sprinting away from the undead as soon as we hear more. Techland showed an impressively polished demo at both E3 2018 and E3 2019, so it would appear that Dying Light 2 is well past pre-production phase.

Dying Light 2 Trailer

We’ll start with the recent Dying Light 2 E3 2019 trailer, which shows off a little more gameplay, provides some insight into the story of the game, and gives us a rough release window. Give it a watch above.

Here are some additional Dying Light 2 trailers to trawl through for details. Above you’ll find the Dying Light 2 E3 2018 announcement trailer we saw during the Microsoft E3 2018 conference. This was unveiled on stage by gives us our first glimpse of the game world and some of the human enemies we’ll face during daylight.

The other Dying Light 2 trailer is a gameplay demo and gives us a proper look at the gameplay, as well as a taste of how our decisions affect this decaying metropolis. There are some highlights to watch out for, like chaining parkour moves together with melee combat, not to mention the sheer number of uninfected humans inhabiting the city.

Dying Light 2 Setting

The first Dying Light took place in the fictional Turkish city of Harran, but we will be moving west for the Dying Light 2 setting. More importantly, however, is that Dying Light 2’s map size is “four times larger” than all of the first game’s combined, Smektala says. That includes the Slums, Old Town, and the 2015 Following expansion.

From the gameplay footage we have seen, we think we can spot monuments like the Arc de Triomphe and the Brandenburg Gate that reinforce that Western feel. It is, according to Smektala, a “fictional European metropolis, once prosperous , but now probably the last human settlement struggling to survive.” We don’t imagine you’ll want to do much tourism here.

Dying Light 2 also features seven different regions for us to run and jump through. One of the biggest changes we’ll see from scene-to-scene, however, are different styles of parkour movement. One area, for example, is filled with rickety and crumbling buildings that will give way under your weight, meaning that you’ll need to be more responsive.

Dying Light 2 Multiplayer

Dying Light might have had co-op but, Dying Light 2’s multiplayer does things differently. Four-player co-op returns but, this time, three players must join one host’s game due to the decision-based narrative.

Central to Dying Light 2’s story is that of choices that have consequence for the world around you. Factions you side with might become dominant, painting the town red (or whatever colour they choose), as well as offering you new parkour routes and trading opportunities. That means your Dying Light 2 world will be unique to you, and the practicalities of that in co-op are still to be finalised.

Dying Light 2 Gameplay

Techland is expanding the possibilities of story and choice in its upcoming zombie sequel and Dying Light 2’s core gameplay will also be seeing extensive changes. According to lead designer Tymon Smektala on YouTube Gaming’s post-show stream after Microsoft’s E3 briefing, the number of Dying Light 2’s parkour moves will be double that of the original. With the gangs, factions, and zombie baddies we’ll be up against in mind, more ways to run away from danger is a win in our book.

The game will also feature vehicles, although not to the extent of Dying Light: The Following. Techland promises that vehicles will become more interesting as the game gets updated. During an E3 2019 demo, we see protagonist Aidan Caldwell take a break from parkour, forcing a grunt to drive him to his next destination. If you fancy a go on the wheel, you’ll also get a shot at some vehicle gameplay, Smektala tells us.

“Let me be clear: this is not a game about driving,” he tells us. “Yes, you will be able to drive vehicles, yes you will be able to sit in the passenger seat while someone else is driving, but this will never be the core of the game. But yes, there are definitely missions where you can drive the car.”

You’ll also need to take a more thoughtful approach when it comes to combat. Smektala adds that first-person combat will be more tactical and requires you to constantly move and observe your enemies to respond to their attacks. The environment and returning day/night cycle will give you opportunities to get the jump on human tearaways as well as those pesky zeds.

Dark Areas return to Dying Light 2 and they’re more terrifying than ever. Dark Areas are effectively nests of undead where they all hibernate to escape the sapping rays of sunshine à la I Am Legend’s Darkseekers. Venturing into these areas is incredibly treacherous due to the number and strength of resident zombies while they are hiding safely in the shadows. Of course there will be huge rewards buried in the heart of Dying Light 2 Dark Areas, so the horror is well worth it.

DYING LIGHT 2 DLC

Smektala confirmed plans for post-launch content for Dying Light 2, he says that plans have already been made for years of support – four years in fact.

This comes as no surprise to Dying Light 1 players, as Techland continue to provide support since 2015, including The Following expansion pack in 2016. Although plans haven’t yet been specified for Dying Light 2 DLC, we are rest assured that Smektala knows we’re eager for content updates in his promise to deliver fans just that.

Dying Light 2 Factions

The factions we know about so far are the Peacekeepers and the Scavengers, and there are many others. Comparisons to the totalitarian enforcers in The Hunger Games would not be misplaced when it comes to the former: the Peacekeepers will rule with an iron fist if given the opportunity. The Scavengers are adept freerunners, but this is all we know about the second faction.

If you choose to side with them, they bring, well, peace to society – but you might regret that when it comes. Morale is boosted, survivors actually venture outside, and you have a reliable supply of resources. But if you fail to toe their strict line the punishments are severe. We are looking forward to seeing more factions revealed and how they interact with one another.

In addition to large, story-heavy factions like the Peacekeepers, there are smaller wildcard factions. These groups can still impact the world, but in less grand ways compared to the key factions. An example of a wildcard faction is the Untainted, who are very much into cultivating drugs.

You can also pit factions against each other, making for excellent distractions as you sneak by and infiltrate a new area.