Developer Techland has officially cancelled the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions of Dying Light: The Beast, citing the game's reliance on current-generation hardware. The game was initially released for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S last year, with a last-gen release promised thereafter.
In a statement, Techland explained that Dying Light: The Beast was designed from its inception to leverage the full capabilities of modern consoles. The game's open world, sophisticated visuals, and fluid combat and traversal systems are dependent on processing power and memory that previous-generation systems cannot provide. The studio stated that while development on the last-gen versions was initiated, it became apparent that significant technical compromises would be necessary, negatively impacting the intended player experience.
Techland clarified that the decision was not about abandoning older platforms but rather acknowledging their limitations in meeting the game's demands. Players who had preordered the PS4 or Xbox One versions of Dying Light: The Beast are eligible for a full refund.
This move by Techland follows a trend seen with other major titles. Games such as Gotham Knights and Hogwarts Legacy have also opted for current-gen and PC-only releases. Furthermore, significant updates and expansions for Cyberpunk 2077, including its Phantom Liberty expansion, bypassed the PS4 and Xbox One, likely due to the severe performance issues the base game experienced on those platforms.
Dying Light: The Beast received a substantial free update in March that introduced a survival-focused mode called Restored Land. This update emphasized permanently clearing zombie zones and repopulating them with survivors, but came with increased scarcity of resources as they no longer respawned and higher prices in shops. GameSpot's review noted that this expansion contributed to the game being the most enjoyable in the series by scaling back the player's power fantasy.