Dying Light boss Tymon Smektała is stepping down, but "can't wait to experience its next chapter"

Dying Light Franchise Director Tymon Smektała has announced he will be stepping away from developer Techland in order to pursue new things. Smektała, who acted as producer on both the first game and Dying Light 2, has since been the Polish studio’s man in charge of the series. While his departure is certainly a blow, Smektała thanks the community for its love and support, and promises that he’ll continue to root for the “next chapter” of the Dying Light story.

“There’s no easy way to say it, so let me just say it: After years with Dying Light, I’m moving into a new chapter,” Smektała writes in a post shared across social media platforms. “It’s been an incredible journey, and I’m proud of what we’ve built.” The zombie games have earned their place as reliable favorites, building on Techland’s work creating the original Dead Island and dragging it in a more gritty, parkour-laden direction.

The most recent entry, Dying Light: The Beast, proved a real winner among us here at PCGamesN, with Paul hailing it as “a gloriously silly zombie sandbox” in his review. Steam ratings are similarly positive, with 87% of players who have submitted a response giving it the thumbs up. Among the creative team, Smektała has become one of the most prominent names and faces, popping up regularly to talk about new features and updates, whether in interviews or through features such as the ‘Dying 2 Know’ series during DL2’s development.

Smektała thanks his team at Techland “for the passion, energy, and shared ambition to make Dying Light the ultimate zombie experience,” remarking, “We made it happen together.” He then turns to players: “To our amazing community: your love, engagement, and vocal support have always been our north star. You helped shape what Dying Light became.

“The franchise is in great hands,” Smektała continues, “and I’m excited to see it grow even further, and I can’t wait to experience its next chapter as a player. I’ll always root for Dying Light! Good night, and good luck.” There’s currently no word on a Dying Light 3, although after The Beast I’m certainly open to the prospect of more adventures in that vein.

If nothing else, Smektała’s closing statement is a reassurance that Dying Light isn’t going anywhere. In the wake of the successful launch of Dying Light: The Beast, Techland has been hiring for plenty more positions, including a Lead Online Game Designer that it says will “define the framework and structure for a new experience in the Dying Light franchise.” Nevertheless, it’ll be sad to see Smektała go, given his longtime association as one of the main faces of its creation.