After working on Techland’s Dying Light for almost 13 years, Tymon Smektała has announced he’s stepping down as franchise director and “moving into a new chapter.” “It’s been an incredible journey, and I’m proud of what we’ve built,” he wrote on LinkedIn.
“Thank you to all the talented people of Techland I’ve had the chance to work with – across both development and publishing – for the passion, energy, and shared ambition to make Dying Light the ultimate zombie experience. We made it happen, together!
“And to our amazing community: your love, engagement, and vocal support have always been our North Star. You helped shape what Dying Light became.”
As for the future, he noted that the Dying Light franchise is “in great hands,” 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!”
Smektała has been with the franchise since the very beginning, serving as a producer on 2013’s Dying Light. He’s credited as a designer on Dying Light 2 Stay Human and has more recently worked on Dying Light: The Beast, which released last year to very positive reviews.
Techland has been busy updating The Beast, with its latest patch adding the new Restored Land mode. It turns Castor Woods into a persistent open world with certain activities not being repeatable and resources not reappearing. Described as the “ultimate survival experience,” it can be played alongside One Life, which is essentially permadeath.
Of course, if you finished the base game, it’s interesting to note Smektała’s statement about the “next chapter.” Maybe he’s speaking generally as someone who’s now on the outside looking in. Perhaps it’s a tease of what’s to come. Either way, it’s been a long journey, and we’re keen to see where he ends up next.
For more details on Dying Light: The Beast, check out our review, where we gave it a nine out of ten. You can also learn more about the Restored Land update here.
