Dying Light's Night Revamp: New Gameplay, Enemies

Techland, the developer behind Dying Light: The Beast, has revealed major enhancements to the series' core experience, focusing on making nights more terrifying. Learn about the key changes coming to nighttime gameplay and enemy behavior in the upcoming release.

Dying Light: The Beast Reinvents the Series Formula

Major Nighttime Improvements Driven by Community Input

Leading up to its launch, Techland has implemented significant updates for Dying Light: The Beast—including more immersive, darker nights and smarter enemy AI. In a recent Steam Community post, the studio shared that a specialized "strike team" was formed to integrate feedback from gamescom 2025 and gaming influencers who tested earlier versions.

First, nights are now considerably darker, amplifying tension and suspense. After dark, the game world becomes quiet and shadow-filled, populated by Infected—zombielike enemies—that are far more powerful than their daytime counterparts. However, the darkness isn't uniform; the developers have carefully preserved the unique feel of each area.

For example, in urban zones, burning barrels can make it risky to sneak past Volatiles—a powerful special infected type that only emerges at night. This differs from the unpredictable atmosphere of the dark forest in the Nature Reserve, where visibility and threats change constantly.

In addition, the sound design at night has been refined, allowing players to pick up on subtle audio cues like the unsettling footsteps of Infected and Volatiles. Hearing these sounds helps players estimate how close enemies are, enhancing immersion and making it feel like “you're really there,” according to the developers.

Once players are detected, the tension escalates. Menacing sound effects, intense music, and the heavy breathing of protagonist Kyle Crane converge to create a truly frantic experience.

Smarter, More Frightening Enemy Behavior

The darker nights aren't just for atmosphere—they serve to highlight the deadly creatures that hunt within them. Based on player feedback, Volatiles have been redesigned to be more intelligent and terrifying than ever.

“A key change was focusing the nighttime experience squarely on Volatiles—the apex predators of our game—which shaped all our design choices moving forward,” Techland explained. “We reworked how Volatiles move, both individually and in coordinated groups, making them more effective hunters across every region of the map.”

Volatiles now feature a revamped movement system that lets them pursue players with deadly efficiency. This includes new animations, expanded move sets, and responsiveness to player actions—such as reacting to flashlight use. They're also more relentless in combat, continuing their attacks until their last breath after updates to their retreat conditions.

The developers also upgraded spawning mechanics, so players will always sense the presence of Volatiles, no matter where they are lurking. Enemies now appear in more believable locations, with spawn points tailored to vehicle routes and environmental layouts.

Enemies have also received visual and audio upgrades, adding to their disturbing presence. Volatiles appear more blood-soaked and come in a wider variety of forms. Meanwhile, other enemy types like Biters and Virals now have more aggressive, humanlike vocalizations, underscoring their tragic transformation.

“Since the first Dying Light, our mission has been to deliver the most immersive zombie apocalypse possible,” said Techland. “Over the course of the series, we’ve learned that perfecting this experience depends on three essential elements: visuals, sound design, and gameplay mechanics.”

Dying Light: The Beast launches on September 18, 2025, for PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5. For the latest updates and announcements, don't miss our follow-up coverage below.