By Sagar V. Mankar 
Techland‘s zombie survival series Dying Light has reached a remarkable achievement: 45 million players across the globe. The Polish game developer shared this news on January 30, 2024, coinciding with the franchise’s 10th anniversary celebration.
In a heartfelt video message, Techland expressed gratitude to its dedicated fanbase and shared additional statistics.
- Players have invested 1.1 billion hours in the Dying Light universe, engaging in battles against zombies and exploring expansive open-world environments. Notably, over 75 billion zombies have been eliminated—nine times the world’s population—with more than 20.3 billion being beheaded. The franchise’s signature parkour system has enabled players to traverse distances equivalent to 41 round trips to the sun.
The journey of the game began in 2015 with the release of the original Dying Light, published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. This first installment introduced players to Kyle Crane, an undercover agent navigating a dangerous quarantine zone. The game stood out for its innovative features, including a dynamic day-night cycle that transformed the relatively manageable daytime zombies into terrifying nighttime hunters.
Building on this success, Dying Light 2: Stay Human launched in 2022, this time published by Techland themselves. The sequel takes place 22 years after the original events, following a new protagonist Aiden Caldwell. The game expanded on everything that made its predecessor great, offering a larger world to explore and new tools like grappling hooks and paragliders. Player choices became a central feature, with decisions significantly impacting both the story and the game world.
The sequel’s success is evident in its Steam statistics, where it peaked at 274,983 concurrent players at launch. Even three years later, it maintains a healthy player base of over 15,000 active Steam users.
Looking ahead, Techland isn’t resting on its laurels. The studio has already announced Dying Light: The Beast, a standalone title scheduled for Summer 2025. Fans are particularly excited about the return of Kyle Crane, with Roger Craig Smith reprising his role as the beloved character.
To celebrate this milestone, Techland has also launched anniversary events and special offers/discounts across multiple platforms for both games, ensuring the community stays engaged with fresh content.