With that tweet, the studio kind of threw a curveball into the mix, and from there, the whole Dying Light community went haywire. The studio posted a shadowy, distorted image of some creature, captioning it: “What is this creature exactly?! Let us know in the comments section, and after release, we’ll see who was closest! 😉”

Advertisement

Oh, boy, have the players been thoughts. The replies have been an insane mixture of ridiculous guesses, legitimate theories, and sheer panic. Some think it’s an electrified Volatile (because of the glitch effects in the visuals); others think it’s an invisible predator-type enemy (and that would be terrifying); and some said “no” and just mentally checked out.

“Me getting a refreshing pickle from the fridge at 2 am trying not to wake anyone else up,” said one user; honestly? Mood. Then came comparisons to Avogadro from Call of Duty Zombies, and others mentioned cloaked Elites from Halo. The creativity (and terror) is quite real.

Most fascinating theories are the ones that connect this creature to Aiden Caldwell’s storyline as maybe a new mutation or a manifestation of his inner turmoil. One poster speculated: “I’m guessing the Beast takes place in Crane’s mind and you are trying to retain your humanity and this is ‘The Beast,’ the Volatile within.” Now that is some good story concept.

Techland has been teasing Dying Light 2 updates like mad, and it almost feels like Tilly here is another breadcrumb toward something much bigger. The creature’s design—with beautiful yet eerie distortion, as if it were some sort of hyper-advanced infection—would have one thinking this is going to replace the Volatiles as the new kind of terrifying nighttime horror we’ve never really seen before. Or the glorious boss fight that will bring back all of our dignity.

And the whole “after the release” bit just leads to the greatest question marks on this Earth: Does it mean DLC? Surprise update? Or just one more way Techland is going to mess with us? Whatever it is, the early anticipation for a physical release is ravenously apparent in the replies. Hyped? HELL YEAH.

Advertisement

Everything at this point is loud speculation, and prayers that this thing is not half as terrifying as it appears. But seriously, that’s Dying Light—a game known for being terrifying. So yes, it will be.