Things Aren't Looking Great For Dying Light 2
Update 1/8/21: We previously stated that Ola Sondej is the PR manager for Techland; however, this is no longer the case. The article has been corrected to reflect this.
Originally, Techland wanted to follow up its hit zombie survival/parkour simulator Dying Light with a sequel, Dying Light 2. The studio had big plans for the game with more player choices, a larger city with more zombies to kill, and, of course, more ways to kill zombies. Techland announced the game back in 2018 and aimed for an early 2020 release, but the company rang in that year by announcing Dying Light 2 was delayed. 2021 isn't looking much better.
Barely one week into 2021, Techland's star employee Pawel Selinger announced he is cutting ties to the company. For the past 22 years, he has served as the studio's lead artist, art director, and writer. He wished Techland the best, and the feeling was mutual among his ex-fellow employees. Selinger also took the time to wish everyone luck on Dying Light 2, which is a worthwhile sentiment but doesn't do the game any favors, given the man's history.
Selinger wore many hats during the original Dying Light's development. He served as the game's art director, cinematic director, and writer, and he might have had similar responsibilities for Dying Light 2. With Selinger gone, the company has lost a multifaceted talent with decades of experience, and even if Techland finds someone to replace him, Selinger's departure by its very nature doesn't bode well for Dying Light 2.
Perhaps the most important takeaway from this turn of events is that whenever Dying Light 2 makes the rounds on the internet, it only delivers bad news. Back in May 2020, the Polish site Polski Game Dev cited an anonymous source that claimed Dying Light 2 was an amorphous disaster lacking leadership or direction. Former Techland senior PR manager Ola Sondej quickly shot down this article, but sites such as Push Square have pointed out that this could have just been damage control. This march of disappointment would be tolerable if Techland balanced it out with good news, but outlets like Game Rant have reminded audiences that nobody has heard updates on Dying Light 2 outside of E3. During Sondej's counterclaim against Polski Game Dev, she took the time to state that development is coming along smoothly, but that's far from the development preview gamers have come to expect from other major, anticipated titles. Selinger's exit from Techland is yet another blow to the Dying Light 2 development saga.
Selinger's goodbye message does not provide any explanation why he quit Techland, and the studio has yet to comment on his departure. Only time will tell before anyone can say with certainty how much this event will impact Dying Light 2.