A few days ago Techland dropped the long-awaited, massive, and jaw-dropping trailer for the release of “Dying Light: The Beast,” going on a wild trip through all pop-cultural zombie eras. I am serious; it begins with the very early black and white movie-style zombies and traveled all the way through to our apex predators of the present-day, and we still scream with them. The title for the video is “Unleash the Beast,” with release set for the 19th of September, and pre-orders are open for the moment.
It was seriously posted by the official Dying Light Game account. That video looks insane. This trailer depicts the evolution of zombies from a century’s worth of near-death slow-mo walking guys to absolute nightmare fuel and that… are the Volatiles. By the way, one of the comments was from a user named Dominic Heinle, ensuring that the live-action Volatile in the video was “nightmare fuel,” and he is… totally right! Have you seen it? It is pure nightmare fuel.
The hype is real, though. Comments are overwhelmed with excitement. BoogieYung21413 just said, “Got my preorder,” which is a vibe. And then Viserion8 chimed in, “Ready to pre-order.” So, the community is totally down with whatever Techland is cooking here.
Well, some aren’t totally satisfied. Robert, aka Rob271_, hit ’em with the classic, “Give us a physical release, then I’ll happily pre-order.” Which, fair. Physical media lovers are still out here wanting their discs, you know? And then there’s TheRafCave, begging for cross-play: “PLEASE ADD CROSS-PLAY!” in all caps because that’s how you know it’s serious.
Meanwhile, some are sentimental. A user named Grafirion replied with “Omg this reminds me of your old video 🥹,” a fine reference to an earlier marketing venture of Techland. PixieSlasher then shared that the old version of this video was actually their entry trailer into Dying Light and into gaming in general. How cool is this? This franchise literally brought someone into the hobby.
And then the impatient ones. Always funny. KlimaH just said, “Bro I can’t take this any longer just release the damn game,” and MEGRIMLOC backed that up with “Just let me play the game. DAMN YOU,” the struggle is real when you are hyped for a game and it is still days away. Even ReyesMan2027 joked about Techland teasing something for 2029, please no, that is too long to wait.
Props for makeup and effects. Soxygamer shouted, “makeup artists are so talented looks AWESOMEEEEE,” and that is the truth. Practical effects in this video are mind-blowing, making everything so gritty and real to give the zombies that little something extra that makes them more terrifying.
And of course, the love for Volatiles is loud and proud. SagLeo4 posted a gif saying, “Volatile for the win” because, really, those things are iconic in Dying Light. They are fast, terrifying, and will completely ruin your night if you’re out past dark.
And then there was this odd yet funny comment from Happygrampy: “The rage zombie reminds me of my ex….really!” Which, okay, could be the funniest joke ever or one concerning a past relationship; at least it got a laugh.
Then, in between all the hype, there’s some confusion. Daneil63599737 asked if it was a remake, giving “pros for including 28 years later alpha,” which deep cut really meant 28 Days Later or 28 Years Later, 28 Days Later anyone? So Techland appears to be paying tribute to all the greats.
Let’s see as I was delirious about trying to keep this straight; I actually shut the book for now. This video is essentially like a kiss from Techland to the evolution of zombies, showing how these things have shifted from being mere mindless nuisances to the major kingsheet scare that we see in games like Dying Light. A pretty brilliant way for Techland to pour into that history and give them a crack at spinning their game in the bigger story arc of zombie pop culture.
Pre-orders are already up, so snag it if you’re as hyped as the folks in the responses. The Beast comes out on September 19, and based on the video, it’s going to be one hell of a ride. From old-school zombies to new-age monsters, it’s a celebration from Techland, and the community is loving it. Just a heads-up: keep your lights on while watching because that Volatile is all seriousness.
