Dying Light: The Beast Won’t Have Virtual Currency, Techland Confirms
- Sagar Mankar
- 5 days ago
- 3 min read
The upcoming standalone title Dying Light: The Beast is officially steering clear of one of the most controversial features from Dying Light 2: Stay Human — virtual currency.
In a brief but reassuring social media post, franchise director Tymon Smektała confirmed that Techland has "not planned" to include virtual currency in the next installment.
That short response has gone a long way in calming the community, which has been vocal about its distaste for microtransaction mechanics in past entries. While Smektała’s comment doesn’t explicitly rule out all forms of monetization, it does confirm that the most disliked system introduced in Dying Light 2 won’t be making a comeback in The Beast.
A Controversial Move That Sparked Outrage
In August 2023 — a full 18 months after Dying Light 2’s original launch — Techland rolled out a new monetization system centered around DL Points, a virtual currency. This effectively removed direct real-money purchases from console and PC storefronts and instead forced players to buy cosmetic bundles using in-game credits.
The new system was marketed as a quality-of-life feature. According to Techland, it was designed so players wouldn’t have to leave the game to make purchases. However, that wasn’t how the community saw it.
Why Players Were Upset
The frustration came from the way DL Points were structured. Players couldn’t just buy the exact number of points they needed — instead, they had to purchase them in fixed bundles (e.g., 500, 1100, 2300 points) while cosmetics were priced at awkward amounts (like 300, 450, 550, or 750). This ensured that users were always left with unused credits, subtly encouraging them to buy more to make use of the leftover balance.
Additionally, by removing the option to buy cosmetics through Steam, PlayStation, or Xbox storefronts, Techland avoided platform fees — a move many players interpreted as a cash grab.
The timing didn’t help either. The update landed shortly after Tencent acquired a majority stake in Techland, leading fans to suspect the Chinese tech giant’s monetization-heavy influence was behind the change.
As a result, the backlash was immediate and severe. Steam reviews plummeted, dipping as low as 47% positive. Reddit, YouTube, Twitter, and other platforms lit up with criticism. Many accused Techland of prioritizing profit over player experience — a sentiment that still lingers in parts of the community.
A Fresh Start for The Beast
That’s why Smektała’s “not planned” response hit the right chord with fans. While it’s not a legally binding statement, it does indicate Techland is listening to its player base — at least for now.
It's also worth noting that Dying Light: The Beast has already gone through several changes during development. Originally intended to be the second major DLC for Dying Light 2, the project was spun off into a standalone game after its storyline was leaked. Techland decided to expand and refine the concept, eventually turning it into a full game set 13 years after the events of the first Dying Light and 10 years before Stay Human.
Recently, the game’s release was pushed back by a month as the studio works to polish animations, physics, UI elements, and cutscenes. Despite the delay, fans remain optimistic, especially as previews have been largely positive — and Kyle Crane, the original protagonist, is making his long-awaited return.
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