Kyle Crane is back - and you’ll get to see him return in Dying Light: The Beast on September 19. We know how much you care about him, and we’ve made every effort in terms of how he looks, how he sounds, and how he plays to ensure his comeback is faithful to the character you remember, while also giving him new layers that feel just right. Kyle is still the hero you know, but evolved in ways that make his journey even more interesting.
ARTISTIC DIRECTION
When we began working on Kyle’s look ten years later, the biggest challenge was aging him in a way that didn’t take away his essence. Art Director Katarzyna Tarnacka-Polito and our Lead Character Concept Artist walked us through their design insights. We experimented with different approaches, and quickly discovered that details like graying hair or baldness are not an option as they made him feel like someone else or not as heroic as we envisioned him. So we ruled them out and focused instead on subtle changes.
His model went through multiple refreshes, until we reached a look that felt authentic. The goal was to show, in his face and body, what over a decade of imprisonment and torture did to him. His body carries scars and marks left by experiments. We didn’t just design random wounds - we thought carefully about what kinds of experiments he might have been subjected to, and what kind of traces they would leave behind. We also had to make sure his body reflects the events of the past, such as (spoiler alert) the scar from the final fight with Rais in DL1.
In an FPP game, it’s difficult to convey the appearance of a character, since one of the few elements visible are the hero’s hands. That’s why we put a lot of effort into the details here. A special shoutout to Charidimos Bitsakakis, who, accompanied by other artists, spent countless hours perfecting them. We recreated Kyle’s hands from the first game, but added scars and other marks reflecting the torture he endured in the Baron’s lab. The experiments also gave rise to the Beast Mode, which we wanted to be visible in FPP as well - we looked for a visual language to represent his transformation and decided on black veins, dark and menacing, perfectly reflecting Kyle’s nature and what he sees when he becomes the Beast.
His face continues the story written on the hands. We reflected this in the wrinkles marked by years of pain and anger, and in the distinctive Beast eye that carries the deepest weight of what he’s been through. The inspiration came directly from the ending of The Following. Without spoiling too much for those who haven’t played, something happens between Crane and The Mother that leaves him changed. We didn’t want to give him grotesque mutations or obvious “monster” features - instead, we focused on something subtle yet powerful. His eye became a distinctive, predator-like feature, inspired by the Volatile. It makes him instantly recognizable and underlines the idea that he is no longer just human…
HALF BEAST, HALF SURVIVOR
The duality of Kyle’s character is reflected in his visual design. His left side represents the human, survivor part of him - the side of the heart. On his left wrist, he still wears the watch that was such an important feature in Dying Light 1. That ticking reminder of approaching night was iconic, and we wanted to bring it back exactly as players remember it, including the same sound.
On the same arm, he also carries Jade’s necklace wrapped around his wrist. Where did he get it? That’s something we like to leave open to speculation - it’s a mystery, a small emotional detail for fans to interpret.
His right side, by contrast, is darker and more sinister. This is the beast side of Kyle - the scar running across half his face, the corrupted eye, and his arm wrapped in thorns. It’s a constant reminder that he is caught between two worlds, half survivor, half beast.
Even his outfit and gear were designed with intention. Nothing about Kyle’s look is random. His radio, his clothing, his accessories - everything was chosen to fit his story. As an example, we added a small immersive detail with his walkie-talkie: at the beginning of the game, its battery is full, but by the end, it’s close to 0%. These tiny touches matter to us, and it’s always rewarding when players notice them.
GAMEPLAY EVOLUTION
To ground Kyle’s return in familiar territory, we brought back animations from Dying Light 1 as the base of his combat style and we also tweaked them to reflect his evolution. We wanted his fighting to feel raw and relentless, mirroring his anger and his thirst for revenge.
Our animation goals were:
Animations should be inspired by DL1 Kyle - reflecting his muscle memory, personality, and fighting style
Some animations should not be identical to Kyle from DL1 - the character has changed significantly after over ten years of imprisonment
There should be a clear contrast between Kyle in the beast mode - brutal, uncontrolled, overconfident - and Kyle outside of it - pragmatic, precise, and confident
Marcin Bahryn - Kamiński on how we tweaked weapon animations:
“For melee weapons, I compared animations from DL1 and DL2. It was very important that each hit felt strong and that striking an enemy provided satisfying feedback. I adjusted the swing animations as well as how the weapon stops on the target. The swing couldn’t be too slow, or the impact would feel weak. So I opted for a fast swing paired with a slower stop animation when the weapon hits the enemy. This combination delivers a satisfying effect that perfectly complements the heavy brutality of DL:TB.” For the same reason we also made the decision to make the weapon animations slightly longer compared to Dying Light - Kyle is older and the game a little bit more tactical, so we had to find a sweet spot that reflects both of these directions in weapon animations.
Another big topic was firearms animations. Since in Dying Light they were much simpler we had more liberty to reinterpret them anew. In terms of direction we knew that we didn’t want to follow the animations from Dying Light 2: Stay Human where the recoil was very high - when firing guns, the weapon moves wildly from side to side. This suited Aiden as he wasn’t fully skilled with firearms however, this type of animation doesn’t fit Kyle Crane. He’s a former military operative and knows exactly how to handle a gun, therefore the weapon needed to feel more stable in Kyle’s hands.
“I experimented with reducing the recoil to make the weapon feel more rigid, but this didn’t deliver a satisfying result. The increased stiffness actually disrupted the gameplay, even though Kyle held the weapon more steadily.” - says Marcin Bahryn - Kamiński - “To find inspiration, I visited a shooting range - to shoot myself and to watch professionals in action, seeing how they manage recoil and counter it. After returning, I concluded that the weapon should have stronger recoil at the start, gradually stabilizing to give players the sense that Kyle is fully in control. This approach preserves fun and engaging gameplay while making it feel authentic to Kyle’s skill.”
Additionally, we refined the reload animations to make them faster, smoother, and more responsive. We also reduced the size of the weapon meshes so that the guns fit Kyle’s hands more naturally and don’t feel oversized.
We also reflected Kyle’s character in the parkour. We tweaked the physics of jumps, giving his movements a more grounded, heavier feel. Additionally, we conveyed his recovery of strength by combining animations into different sets that evolve as the game progresses. We brought back a number of animations from the first game, like the slide or vaults - some we have left untouched, and some tweaked to better represent the older Kyle. At the beginning, players will feel the toll of his years in captivity - his stamina and strength are drained, his breathing heavy, his movements labored. But as the game progresses, this weakness gives way to raw power, punctuated by fierce grunts of anger as his inner beast begins to emerge.
THEY TRIED TO BREAK HIM, BUT THEY CREATED THE BEAST…
This line became the essence of Kyle’s character in Dying Light: The Beast. His journey has always been about transformation. In Dying Light 1, Crane began as a mercenary sent on a mission. But once he saw the horrors of the apocalypse - and was saved by the people within it - he began to change. He started helping others, searching for allies, and realizing that in a world like this, humanity could only survive through community. That evolution into a true hero was deeply appreciated by players, even though in the game itself it was often understated. When emotions did break through, they hit hard. From the start we knew that the emotional side of Kyle Crane will be the most difficult to nail.
In Dying Light: The Beast, Kyle goes through another transformation. After years of captivity and torture at the hands of the Baron, he could have given up. He could have broken. But Kyle Crane doesn’t break so easily. When he finally escapes, his only focus is revenge. All of his anger and hatred are directed at the Baron. But, just like in the first game, he slowly realizes that he cannot do it alone. He begins forming alliances, building a resistance, and once again, that experience shapes him. His personal quest for vengeance evolves into something much bigger. Btw, take a close look at The Baron for the first time. Does he look like someone you’d mess with?
VOICE AND PERFORMANCE
To bring this evolution to life, we needed the voice of Crane - and there was only one choice. Kyle could only be voiced by Roger Craig Smith. We were thrilled when Roger agreed to return to the role. His performance was essential in capturing Kyle’s transformation.
At the start of the game, his voice is heavy, strained, worn down by years of suffering. As the story progresses, it shifts, showing Kyle’s recovery, his growing strength, and eventually, the re-emergence of his true self. Roger delivered an incredible performance, full of nuance and emotion.
This emotional depth was also reflected in cutscenes. We wanted realism - for example, in scenes where Kyle suffers a panic attack, his face is visibly sweaty (take a look at the screenshot) and he breathes heavily. These details matter, because they make players truly feel what Kyle is going through.
This screenshot was taken during cutscene development and does not represent the final look of the game.
For us, “they tried to break him, but they created the beast” is more than a line - it’s the emotional core of this game. We can’t wait for players to step back into Kyle’s shoes, to feel his anger, his pain, and his strength, and to experience the brutal, emotional journey of the hero who defined Dying Light. Check out our newest trailer!