Techland has released a day-one 1.2 update for Dying Light: The Beast, targeting night chases, enemy reactions, physics, and overall stability.

The patch arrives alongside this week’s launch and follows early reports of instability in the initial build. The studio also signals more improvements are planned over the weekend.

New features in patch 1.2

  • Nighttime chase logic has been reworked for smoother phase transitions and greater variety, with difficulty tuned to increase intensity while remaining fair.
  • World balance adjustments recalibrate the in-game economy and resource distribution for more consistent pacing and rewards.

AI, enemies, and physics changes

  • Enhanced hit reactions for both melee and firearms aim to make combat feel more physical.
  • Volatiles gain animated UV-reactive textures, and special attack patterns and movement receive tweaks, including nagewaza-like responses.
  • Ragdoll behavior is overhauled for more believable rooftop falls and natural corpse physics, with polished hit-reaction transitions to cut down on janky interruptions.
  • Ambient “flavor” behaviors add atmosphere, like zombies battering locked doors.

Stability, bugs, and performance fixes

  • More than 500 environment issues are resolved, including clipping, stuck objects, and collision bugs.
  • More than 100 system-level bugs are addressed across save/load and UI areas.
  • Multiple crash scenarios are fixed to improve session reliability.
  • Lighting is adjusted in multiple locations for better readability and mood, with visual optimizations to improve performance across a range of hardware.

New mechanic: Instant Escape (biter grab)

Patch 1.2 adds an Instant Escape option tied to a skill check that lets players at level 11 and above break free from biter grabs on the spot, bringing back a fan-favorite feel from the original game.

With this first update live and additional fixes expected soon, players should see a steadier experience as they settle into the new open world.