Dying Light’s Hellraid DLC delayed just before release

Techland recently decided to delay Dying Light’s Hellraid DLC, just days before its planned release. Had everything gone according to plan, the Hellraid DLC would have launched this Thursday on July 23. Unfortunately, players now have to wait roughly three more weeks until August 13. The developer tweeted out the announcement and specifically referenced beta test feedback as the driving factor for the decision. 

We received tons of great feedback during our beta of Dying Light – Hellraid. Big thanks to everyone who participated! We’re hell-bent on applying your suggestions, so we will be launching the new game mode on August 13 for PC, and August 14 for consoles. pic.twitter.com/3rqp680b7P

— Dying Light (@DyingLightGame) July 17, 2020

One has to admire the “hell-bent” pun, but players certainly won’t be thrilled about the situation. The Hellraid DLC was already delayed once due to the non-zombie related real-world pandemic, and now players have to wait again. It’s particularly ironic, because the DLC is based off of a cancelled project from years ago that Techland never got quite right. Perhaps this is what they get for putting “Hell” in the name. 

Players that beta tested the DLC complained on Reddit about numerous technical issues that plagued the game. Others thought the experience didn’t bring enough unique content to the existing game, and was just a medieval re-skin. While Hellraid isn’t meant to be considered a full-fledged expansion, it will introduce a unique new mode. 

Hellraid is a game within a game

Hellraid is accessible via an in-game arcade machine, which supports four-player co-op and transfers players to procedurally generated dungeons. There, the players must face off against medieval undead, such as the armored skeletons seen in the trailer. Players must wield swords and other medieval weapons in order to survive too. 

Three weeks isn’t a whole lot of development time, but it is enough to perform plenty of quality assurance testing and fix bugs. Hopefully when Hellraid arrives on August 13, it will be ready to impress in the way Techland wants. The developer previously called it a “completely fresh Dying Light experience,” and it’s likely the last DLC the 2015 title will get. Dying Light has already enjoyed five years of support, so it would be a shame if it didn’t end on a high note. 

Meanwhile, most of the team at Techland are hard at work on Dying Light 2. The sequel was delayed indefinitely in January, so Hellraid is important for keeping the franchise going in the meantime. 

Dying Light is available on Steam for $39.99 and includes several free content updates plus separate paid expansions. Hellraid costs an additional $9.99.