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Dying Light 2 released today, and a few copies have made their way into the world earlier than intended. While initial reactions are positive, bugs are an issue, as with any leaked release. Off the back of this unintended early release, developers Techland have personally asked fans not to play the game prior to the release of the day one patch.
In a message on twitter, Techland writes “We kindly ask you to wait until Feb 4th as by that time you’ll also get access to all improvements and fixes we’ve implemented within last weeks and will introduce with the day 1 patch. That’s the way to experience Dying Light 2 the way it’s meant to be played.”
Dying Light 2: necessary fixes
In addition to simple graphical and performance issues, Techland have alerted players to a bug that can currently block story progression. More than anything else, this is a strong incentive to wait for the patch to be released.
Day One patches: the new norm
While this is a lot of fixes for a supposedly finished game, the day one patch is the experience that developers intend players to have with Dying Light 2. And substantial fixes released on launch day isn’t without precedent.
The past two years have forced companies to deal with entirely new modes and standards of working. Crunch is more visible in the gaming industry than ever. What was seen as a normalised practise in the industry is now rightly recognised as unhealthy and dehumanising. Reaching the finish line on a big-budget project – while keeping to deadlines, is hard enough as it is. And with dev teams adapting to remote working, the pressure is more significant than ever.
In the wake of large-scale public disasters like Cyberpunk 2077, dev teams are increasingly being allowed the time to get a game into a workable state, rather than releasing early to public derision. With a game as large as Dying Light 2, it’s best to wait to see what the finished project is like – with the patch installed – before judging too harshly.
