One Year Later – Reflections on Dying Light: The Beast

Has it really been a year since Dying Light: The Beast landed in players’ hands?

Fans remember a game through the moments they experience inside its world. Those who create it remember something different: the ideas that came to life, the breakthroughs that changed everything, the laughter when things became too absurd to take seriously, and the teammates who were there when all the pieces finally came together.

For the first anniversary of Dying Light: The Beast, we asked a few members of the Techland team and the voice actors who brought its characters to life which memories have stayed with them. Below, they share those personal stories in their own words, offering an honest look behind the game – at the passion, friendships, and pride that shaped it.

Some memories are deeply personal. Others are wonderfully ridiculous. Somehow, a chicken found its way into the story too… Enjoy!

The Things You Don’t Put on a Roadmap 

Not every memorable part of game development starts with a plan. Sometimes the best stories come from the things nobody expected –  spontaneous ideas, happy accidents, and moments that were simply too good not to keep.

Katarzyna Tarnacka-Polito, Art Director

“Dying Light: The Beast is my favorite project I’ve ever worked on. After Dying Light The Following, I honestly thought I would never again find that rare combination of an amazing game, a brilliant team, and the kind of atmosphere that makes even the hardest days feel worthwhile. Somehow, The Beast matched it – and gave me plenty of wonderful memories along the way.

One of them was the unexpected rise of shirtless Kyle Crane. It was never meant to be a feature, but during co-op tests everyone immediately took his shirt off, put him in aviators, and ran around Castor Woods looking like the apocalypse’s least appropriately dressed action hero. The idea was far too entertaining to remove, so we let players do it too. We definitely didn’t expect it to become such a fan favorite.

Then there was Ewa – my own chicken – who came to the office with me and landed a starring role in one of The Beast’s promotional videos. Of all the talented performers involved in the project, she remains the one I’m proudest to have personally cast.

And finally, the chimney. Keoz (Maciej Jamrozik, Technical Art Director)  and I had spent far too long arguing about how metal reflections should behave in shadow. We studied references, defended our theories, and got absolutely nowhere. Eventually, our CEO lost patience and told us to go to a hardware store and buy the exact same sheet-metal chimney we had in the game. The photo captures the scientific experiment that followed – and the moment our very serious graphics debate finally met reality.”

Martyna Mączka, Senior Producer

“Some of my best memories are of the people I shared this project with. We spent long hours solving problems, having wonderfully absurd conversations, and laughing together – always with a real sense of pride in what we were creating.

One of the funniest was the “sock fish” story, and it was all thanks to Sławek, our Senior Technical Artist. He had created a new school of fish, but what appeared in the water looked far more like a school of socks. The moment Szymon, our Development Director, pointed it out, it became impossible to unsee. From then on, all we could see was a peaceful group of socks drifting through the water.

And that is how Daniel, our Photogrammetry Specialist, ended up scanning real dead fish for reference. It may not have been the most glamorous assignment on the project, but thanks to him, Castor Woods eventually had proper fish – and remained safely free of underwater socks.”

Mateusz Zieliński, QA Analyst

“As developers of huge games we have possibilities of doing some small funny things. For me it was the possibility of hiding a small easter-egg collaboration with a content creator – Pipapeep. As those are silly and cute creatures that gave me a lot of positive vibes during the development I’ve managed to reach out to the creator and receive permission to hide some of the Pipapeeps inside the game. Seeing it on the live version always swells my heart.”

When It All Clicked

There are moments in development when something changes. A decision suddenly gives the project a new energy. A mechanic finally feels right. Or months of work come together in a way everyone can immediately see and feel.

Szymon Strauss, Development Director

“I remember the meeting where we decided Kyle Crane comes back. It wasn’t only a design decision. We missed him – he was part of what people loved about the original game, and bringing him back changed the energy of the whole project.

I remember the table reads. Hours of them, roles split across the team, reading dialogue out loud just to hear where it sounded like a real person and where it still sounded like a script. Nothing tells you that faster than hearing a colleague say the line.

I remember the moment combat stopped feeling like work. Weeks of tuning how enemies react, how a hit lands, how it feels in your hands – and then one day nobody was testing it anymore. They were just playing it, and smiling while they did.

I also remember the day the new lighting model went in. Same assets, same levels, and overnight the game looked like a different game. Not many days in production feel like that.

And I remember the launch. Scrolling through the credits, seeing the names of people I’d worked with for years, on a game we’d want to play ourselves. That’s the part I’m proudest of.

Thank you for playing.”

Michał Broda, Lead Producer

“Two months before launch, our night experience wasn’t where it needed to be. Playtests made it clear that players wanted the darkness, danger, and intensity they remembered from the first Dying Light.

We formed a focused team and spent the next two months going through an intense cycle of daily iterations. The commitment and dedication to delivering the experience players wanted were palpable every single day. The moment I remember most was when we finally perfected the slow-motion Volatile attack triggered when the player looks behind during a chase. We struggled with it for weeks until our Technical Director made the breakthrough.

Soon, clips of that Volatile leap were spreading across the company. You could feel the excitement everywhere – even among people who hadn’t worked on it. That shared sense of “we got it” is one of my favorite memories from the project.”

Antonio Giorgione, Game Designer

“Developing Dying Light: The Beast was an incredible adventure. It was filled with challenging moments, but our dedication was always the driving force. Pushing through to the final stages of development moved me on several occasions, especially seeing all our efforts finally come together piece by piece.

I’ve spent most of the last few months focusing on AIs, encounters, and systemic behaviors. Watching the QA team fill our chats with videos that ranged from hilarious bugs to genuinely unexpected « OMG » moments, made me incredibly proud of what we were achieving. I hope the players enjoyed Dying Light: The Beast as much as we did while developing and playing it.”

When The Beast Escaped the Studio

For a long time, a game belongs mostly to the people making it. Then comes the moment when players enter the picture – and years of internal builds, meetings, testing and preparation suddenly become something shared with the outside world.

Paulina Dziedziak, Senior PR manager

“My favorite memory from Dying Light: The Beast has to be the game’s announcement during Opening Night Live at gamescom 2024.

We had a truly epic trailer – huge kudos to Mrozu – and with it, we finally revealed to the world that Kyle Crane was back. I still remember the chills when that moment went live. The reaction from players was on another level, and so was the excitement in our team.

All of us were squeezed into one tiny room in the B2B area of Koelnmesse, watching the show together and waiting for the announcement to happen. Seeing the world react in real time, while being surrounded by the people who had worked so hard to make that moment possible, was incredibly emotional. It’s one of those memories where you suddenly realize: wow, we really did this.

And as if that wasn’t enough, I then got to spend the next few days with Roger Craig Smith.

Honestly, what’s not to like?”

Jacek Śliz, Senior QA Analyst

“The memory I treasure the most from the time of development of Dying Light: The Beast is the one nearing the release. It is my time at the Gamescom 2025 conference, where we set up a booth for players to see a nearly-completed version of our game. Not only did I take part in one of the biggest gaming events in the world, but I got to enjoy being among other gamers and most importantly – the fans of our franchise. Being able to see them play and enjoy our game, but also give their gratitude towards our company was something that I will cherish for the rest of my life.

The passion, energy and even endurance of those people that had to wait for 3,5 hours in the line to enjoy a brief moment with our game made me realize how great it is to work in the gamedev industry and our Company in particular. Although the work there was immense, not only was it worth it, but I couldn’t get enough of it and I felt a loss when it finally ended. I will always be grateful for being given the chance to experience it first hand.”

Paulina Sajna, HR Manager

“Every new project launch comes with a full spectrum of emotions. On one hand, there’s stress, exhaustion, and uncertainty about how the game will be received by the community; on the other – sheer excitement.

What touches me most during this time is the incredible mobilization across all fronts. We work toward a shared goal every day, but in those final days before the debut, the sense of community reaches a whole new level. Everyone gives it their all.

What I found particularly moving was the creators’ pride – pure and unwavering. With a twinkle in their eyes, they counted down the days until the world could see their work, polished both artistically and technically. Listening to them talk so passionately about the characters, locations, and unique mechanics they created was an amazing experience.

The grand finale of the entire process was celebrating together over cake in the company cafeteria. And while launching the game was a challenge for the whole company, my personal logistical challenge was efficiently slicing and serving cake to several hundred people! I’m officially adding this new skill to my resume. ;)”

Give Them a Voice!

For the voice actors behind Dying Light: The Beast, each role came with its own story – from unexpected moments and creative discoveries to career highlights they won’t forget.

Roger Craig Smith, voice of Kyle Crane

“One particular moment that lasts with me from my sessions recording for Dying Light: The Beast was participating in the “Bober” meme! I’ve always loved that the Dying Light franchise can have moments of not taking itself too seriously…it’s one of the many things that makes this series of games so much fun for the players – and the actors! Being taught how to properly say the words from the source video in Polish, but to also attempt doing it with a little Kyle Crane swagger was hilarious! Love that it made it into the game and love that you all let me participate.

Voicing Kyle has been a highlight of my career and I’m so grateful to the folks at Techland for trusting me to be a part of their collaborative vision. Kyle’s a very gratifying character to portray, as his habit of outwardly expressing his inner thoughts can be pretty cathartic for me as a performer. I get to work out a lotta my own stuff when voicing Kyle. Or, as Kyle might put it, “It’s really…FUCKING…cathartic.”

Jonathan Rhodes – voice of Baron (spoilers alert! :))

“Voicing Kyle Crane’s nemesis ‘The Baron’ for Techland’s Dying Light: The Beast has been the highlight of my voice acting journey so far. I remember auditioning at home for him: he leapt off the page and I had a handle on him very quickly. I love working the angles on a megalomaniacal sociopath who thinks he’s untouchable and in my prep work for the audition, I played around until I found a kind of sardonic arrogance that worked. Months later, when I was told that I had booked the job, that same quality and character remained unchanged.

At first I was brought in to voice just the trailer – with elements of the character still in development. Then over the following year I was in the studio fairly regularly as Baron’s journey and story developed. The sessions were so much fun – maybe even TOO much fun – and I loved working with Kim, the director in the London studio and with Michal and the team on link-up in Poland. Recording the ‘voicenote’ assets that the player discovers as they roam Castor Woods took a long time, but ultimately helped deepen my hold on a character that was constantly evolving.

When I got the call to say that Baron was going to shoot himself up with shed-loads of his latest serum formula and then metamorphose into the final boss character THE BEAST I was so excited. I mean it’s grand, it’s gruesome and it’s more than a little crazy; but it’s also brilliant and it gave me permission to push the villainy throughout the other cutscenes leading up to the finale.

My favourite cutscene to work on was ‘The Last Supper’. All the other characters were manacled to their chairs and Baron could afford to take his sweet time and hit next-level psychopathy, which needed a calm tempo. I really enjoyed pacing that performance out with Kim and finding the quieter moments, working close to the microphone. In fact, during the part where Baron skewers an apple and has a munch while parading his insanity, I asked if we could pause recording for a moment. I ran out to the studio reception, picked up an apple from the kitchen and then recorded that section with a real apple bite, chew and throw.

But I’ll never forget on my first day in the studio when I saw the artist’s renderings of Baron, the first thing I said was « guys, I have that very same jacket and roll-neck… ».  I wore it to one session for fun but it was so hot that the novelty soon wore off!  I did a little selfie photo shoot for the hell of it though and dug deep for my inner Baron 😉

I loved voicing Baron and am so happy that he has been antagonising and annoying Kyle Cranes all over the world for a year now. Happy Anniversary – I’ll get you next time, Crane!”

Jonah Scott – voice of Aiden Caldwell

“HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO DYING LIGHT: THE BEAST! This story and these characters have such a special place in my heart. Dying Light was the first game I played in an empty apartment right after I moved to Los Angeles to work as an actor. 

Getting to play as Aiden is literally a dream come true. Full stop. I even was lucky enough to play opposite my idol Roger Craig Smith and Rosario Dawson (even though I never got to meet her)! How cool is that!? We also got the rare opportunity to set up Kyle and Aiden with an open ended story at the end of Dying Light: The Beast that I hope someday we get to actualize! A Superpowered Buddy-Cop Post Apocalypse Revenge Thriller! I vividly remember my reaction in the booth, seeing Crane and Aiden speak to each other. I legit couldn’t believe it. It was actually happening. A generational meet up. 

Another rare treat was visiting Techlands campus in Poland, working on Dying 2 Know and with such professionals. Thank you to the 1st rate Dying Light community that welcomed me. To the individuals I got to know and still call friends and everyone on the dev team that signed my hat (I got Roger to sign it too! It’s complete!). I hope I get to experience something so special again in my career, but I won’t be surprised if I don’t. Maybe I’ll get to do those Infected Aiden efforts again. Just remember to Stay Human.”

Long After the Credits Roll

A year later, deadlines and difficult days begin to blur. What stays are the people, the shared moments, and the memories that ended up meaning more than anyone expected.

Nicola Karnas, Acting Community Engagement & Game Research Lead

“Somehow, one of the most intense periods of my professional life has also become one of the ones I look back on most fondly.

Working on Dying Light: The Beast meant a lot was happening all the time – a lot to do, plenty of stress, constant change and very few truly quiet moments. And yet, a year later, those aren’t the things that come to mind first when I think about that time. What I remember most are the people I shared it with – and, in particular, one person I was lucky enough to find along the way. I definitely didn’t expect that somewhere in the middle of making The Beast, I’d also find one of my best friends.

I think there’s something about going through such an intense period together that makes you appreciate the people around you differently. You see each other on the big days, when you’re taking on ambitious projects together, pushing for the best possible quality, solving problems and somehow making things work when there are a hundred things happening at once. But you also get to know each other through all those tiny, seemingly insignificant moments in between.

And while it would be easy to say that it was simply the intensity of that time that brought us so close, I like to think it was something much better than that: a shared passion for what we were creating. It was caring deeply about the same thing, challenging each other, wanting to make something genuinely great, and knowing there was someone next to you who cared just as much as you did.

But when I think about that time, I don’t only remember the big moments or the things we accomplished together. I remember all the little moments in between. Us grabbing a quick coffee in the middle of a completely chaotic day. Her bringing me food because I’d been stuck in meetings for hours and had forgotten that eating was, in fact, necessary. Checking in on each other after a difficult meeting, or sitting together at the end of a long day when neither of us had the energy to talk about work anymore. Laughing at something completely stupid when everything around us felt very serious. Knowing when the other needed help without having to ask. Celebrating the little wins that probably meant nothing to anyone outside of that room. And simply having someone beside me who understood exactly why a certain day had been difficult – because she had been right there with me through all of it.

So yes, making Dying Light: The Beast was intense. But we also released a game I’m incredibly proud of, and I got to work on it side by side with someone who became one of the most important people in my life.

A year later, that’s probably what I treasure most about that time. We made a great game together, we pushed each other to make it the best it could possibly be, and somewhere along the way, without me ever expecting it, I found my ride or die.

There are a lot of things I’ll remember about making The Beast. But years from now, when the deadlines, meetings and all those crazy days have become distant memories, I know I’ll still have her. And maybe that’s the best thing I could have ever hoped to find somewhere along the way.”