Entertainment news and discussion on TalkFuse.
Techland scraps last-gen console versions of Dying Light: The Beast
Developed over time first seen 4 months ago
Techland has cancelled the planned PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions of Dying Light: The Beast, meaning the game remains available only on current-generation platforms. The studio said the game was designed around the capabilities of newer hardware, and that older consoles cannot support its open world, visuals, combat and traversal systems. The decision matters because it underlines a wider industry move away from last-generation support as developers focus on more demanding games for PS5, Xbox Series X and PC.
Dying Light: The Beast launched on 18 September 2025 for PlayStation 5, Windows PC and Xbox Series X. Techland said the game was built “from the ground up” for current-generation hardware, pointing to limitations in processing power and memory on PS4 and Xbox One. The article notes that the project may originally have been expected on older machines because it began life as an expansion to 2022’s Dying Light 2: Stay Human, which did release on those systems. It also places the move in a broader pattern, citing the next Call of Duty as another major release set to skip last-generation consoles.
- Sources
- 3
- Outlets
- 3
- Left · Centre · Right
- 0 · 0 · 0
In short
- Techland dropped PS4 and Xbox One versions of Dying Light: The Beast
- The studio says older hardware cannot handle the game
- It reflects the industry's shift away from last-generation consoles
How this story developed
- 4 months ago Techland then confirmed more firmly that Dying Light: The Beast would stay off last-generation consoles, casting the decision as part of a wider move by major publishers towards current-generation-only releases.
- 4 months ago Techland said it had dropped PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions of Dying Light: The Beast because the game was built for newer hardware, leaving its 18 September 2025 release confined to PS5, Xbox Series X and PC.
- GamesRadar+ Dying Light: The Beast canceled on PS4 and Xbox One as Techland says the 13-year-old consoles can't handle "the experience we set out to create"
- IGN Dying Light: The Beast for PS4 and Xbox One Canceled After Dev Accepts 'The Technical Realities of Development'
- Polygon Techland scraps last-gen console versions of Dying Light: The Beast
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Consumers who purchased PS4 and Xbox One hardware in recent years have invested substantially in these systems and deserve continued support, particularly since Dying Light 2 demonstrated that ambitious open-world games can reach these platforms. The game began as an expansion to a last-gen title, setting reasonable expectations that are now being abandoned. From accessibility and environmental perspectives, requiring expensive hardware upgrades excludes players and contributes to electronic waste.
The case against
Last-generation consoles, now over a decade old, genuinely lack the processing power and memory to support Dying Light: The Beast's complex systems without severe compromise. Producing a port would waste resources and deliver a diminished experience, whereas concentrating effort on capable hardware ensures quality. Development must eventually progress beyond decade-old technical constraints, and this approach allows Techland to deliver the full experience as intended.
Explained simply
Dying Light: The Beast is a survival horror video game made by the Polish studio Techland, part of the wider Dying Light series set in a zombie-infested open world. It launched in September 2025, but only for the newest generation of consoles and PC, rather than for older hardware as some had expected.
The game began life as an expansion to Dying Light 2, a 2022 title that did run on older PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles. Techland has now confirmed that planned versions for those older machines have been scrapped entirely, saying the game's world, visuals and combat systems were built specifically for more powerful current-generation hardware.
This matters beyond just one game, as it reflects a broader shift in the games industry away from supporting older consoles, with other major upcoming titles reportedly following the same path. For players still using older hardware, it signals that some of the biggest new releases may increasingly be out of reach.
Coverage · 3 sources
- PolygonTechland scraps last-gen console versions of Dying Light: The Beast
- GamesRadar+Dying Light: The Beast canceled on PS4 and Xbox One as Techland says the 13-year-old consoles can't handle "the experience we set out to create"
- IGNDying Light: The Beast for PS4 and Xbox One Canceled After Dev Accepts 'The Technical Realities of Development'
Read the full article at the source →
Originally published by Polygon as “Dying Light: The Beast canceled on PS4 and Xbox One”.