Dying Light took the world by storm when it was released in 2015, offering up a no-holds-barred, high-octane zombie slasher fused with fast-paced parkour action. It was a monumental hit that became a cult classic with ease and in February 2022, Techland released Dying Light 2: Stay Human, a comprehensive sequel to the first title.
However, the follow-up faltered quite heavily at launch and failed to maintain much traction, but Techland has kept it pumped full of fresh content regardless. Recently, Techland’s franchise director, Tymon Smektała, was asked how he felt about the revelation that the first game maintains better player numbers than the more recent sequel.
‘It’s Hard To Beat That!’
In a report and a short interview with PCGamesN, it was revealed that, over time, Dying Light (2015) is pulling in higher peak player numbers (on Steam) than Dying Light 2. That changed recently with the release of Dying Light 2: Stay Human Reloaded Edition, but for several months, the first game was outpacing Dying Light 2.
Here’s what Smektała had to say about the topic:
Dying Light 1 is a great game packed with eight years of content that you can currently buy at a low price. It’s hard to beat that! But yes, we’re happy with running both games in tandem as they both serve a different purpose. The first game is a great entry point into the world of Dying Light and we see lots of players who convert into the sequel which is still our premium offering.
Being as transparent as possible, Smektała admitted that Techland ‘didn’t hit the bullseye’ with Dying Light 2, but there’s a serious and determined effort to improve everything the community is asking for, and there’s still plenty in store for the game.
I’ve been a huge fan of Dying Light since the first game was announced, and I think that Dying Light 2 offered a better experience overall, boasting a gorgeous post-apocalyptic world, phenomenal combat mechanics, and so much side content that the entertainment value never seems to run thin.
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