Dying Light 2 looks all set to finally be released on February 4, after delays saw it pushed back nearly two years. Fans of the original Dying Light have been waiting a long time for the sequel and are eager to see firsthand what has been changed and improved. Dying Light 2 looks as though it will provide more than enough in the way of new content, ranging from new zombies to new gear. However, in some ways, it looks like Dying Light 2 will have much in common with the original Dying Light, as is indicated by a recent promise to fans.
Despite not having even been released as of yet, Techland has already promised fans that Dying Light 2 will receive five years’ worth of support post-launch. This will come as a comfort for gamers who will have waited over seven years for the follow-up to Dying Light. Moreover, this announcement may come as a surprise to gamers, who have become used to the support of video games ending far too soon. One of the main takeaways from this news is that Dying Light 2’s five-year support promise should set the standard for video games going forward. While the outcome of the promise is yet to be seen, fans can be fairly confident that it will be honored.
Dying Light 2’s Support Promise
Dying Light 2’s five-year support promise may sound fairly optimistic. However, based on the original Dying Light’s support, it isn’t difficult to believe. For context, this support may come in the form of new stories, locations, in-game events, and more according to the official Dying Light 2 Twitter account. A similar pattern to this can be seen in the original Dying Light, as a new DLC was added to Dying Light as recently as December 16, 2021. This marks nearly seven years’ worth of post-launch support and content, which is difficult to find anywhere else in the gaming industry.
While much of the new content added to Dying Light comes in the form of skins, it does show that a development team has remained dedicated to continuing to get the most out of Dying Light well after it was launched. This is a promising sign for the future of Dying Light 2 post-launch, which may have the same emphasis on cosmetics. Many gamers may be hoping that their favorite video games take a leaf out of the Dying Light series’ book in future installments. Being able to have confidence in the long-term support of games seems like a far-off dream for gamers, but it could one day be a reality.
Post-Launch Support Should Be Standard
Of course, post-launch support is a fairly new concept, as in the case of classic video games, updates weren’t possible, leaving the content on the disc as the final product. However, the introduction of online multiplayer and live service games has made this post-launch support somewhat of a necessity. Video games are now offered much more leniency on launch day due to the ability to patch and add new content retrospectively, but too often video games are left in the dark due to a lack of support. A recent example of this is the canceled Anthem 2.0, which was initially planned to revamp Anthem but was scrapped despite good optimism from fans.
With the ability to continually update games post-launch comes an imperative to do so from a gamers’ point of view. One of the major benefits of a live service model to video games is the potential for a lengthy lifespan, and games that fail to capitalize on this face being left behind. Dying Light 2’s promise of support provides a framework for successful support of video games post-launch, which should become the norm in the gaming industry.
Dying Light 2 will be available for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S on February 4, 2022.
