Dying Light turns five years old and is still getting support

Games no longer have to come and go, and Dying Light is a great example of this model. The open-world zombie-survival adventure debuted on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Steam five years ago. But it has hung around and is still among the 100 most-played games on Steam.

Developer Techland was able to keep players coming to Dying Light through consistent support. The studio launched regular free updates, content packs, and a full expansion. Its cooperative multiplayer also helped keep it fresh as fans brought in new people to play with.

Now, Techland is looking back to say thanks to its fans.

“With five years behind us, I wanted to take a moment to thank you all for the support, feedback, and faith you keep on giving us,” Techland chief executive officer Paweł Marchewka said. “We really couldn’t have hoped for a better community. You have been, and continue to be, an incredible source of inspiration and joy.”

The studio is also working on Dying Light 2. It recently delayed that release out of spring to an unannounced new date. That doesn’t mean, however, that everyone at Techland is ignoring the last game as part of an effort to finish the new one.

“We assure you, even though we are working hard on Dying Light 2, our support of the original Dying Light will continue,” said Marchewka. “There’s nothing more valuable to us than seeing a positive response from our fans. It’s humbling. It gives us perspective and purpose to keep on going.”

Dying Light gets anniversary celebrations

To keep Dying Light going, Techland plans to celebrate its fifty anniversary throughout February. And it’s kicking that off with two new big rewards for players.

If you own or buy Dying Light going forward, Techland will give you a free copy of its Dying Light: Bad Blood battle royale game. Bad Blood is only on PC, but you can still get a copy of that version even if you own Dying Light on PlayStation 4 or Xbox One.

To get Bad Blood, you’ll need to go to Dying Light’s Dockets site, which where players can redeem codes for in-game perks. You’ll also have to sign up for an account.

The other big reward comes if you get a friend into the game. Tell your friends to go to this site with your Steam name, PSN ID, or Xbox gamertag. Once they register their account, Dying Light will unlock a gold-tier weapon for both players. That option is open now.