Dying Light: The Beast is set in late 2037. An in‑game collectible pins the window to September–October, placing the story about a year after Dying Light 2, which unfolds in late 2036.

Techland frames The Beast as occurring after Dying Light 2’s events and confirms Kyle Crane spent 13 years in captivity prior to his escape, which the spin‑off dramatizes. That official placement aligns with the late‑2037 date from the collectible, even if “right after” reads colloquially rather than literally.

How the “13 years” fit the franchise chronology

The 13-year figure has caused confusion because it’s easy to read as “13 years after The Following, full stop.” The game and official materials make clear it refers to Crane’s time held and experimented on, not the total gap between The Following and The Beast.

  • After The Following’s 2016 ending, Crane survives and roams for several years before capture.
  • He is then held for 13 years, ending in the Dying Light 2 timeframe.
  • The Beast follows thereafter, landing roughly a year later in 2037.

Techland’s own write‑up states The Beast “takes place right after the events of Dying Light 2 Stay Human” and that Crane “had been held for 13 years by a villain known as the Baron.” You can find that context in the developer’s behind‑the‑scenes dev blog.

Key dates at a glance (games and major beats)

Year / Period Event Notes
2015 Dying Light Crane’s Harran mission.
2016 The Following (canon ending) Crane endures transformation; survives post‑DLC.
~2016–2023 Crane at large On the run, fighting the infection; not yet captured.
~2023–2036 13 years in captivity Imprisoned and experimented on by the Baron.
2036 (late) Dying Light 2 Events occur 22 years after the original outbreak.
2037 (Sep–Oct) Dying Light: The Beast Set about a year after Dying Light 2.

Why some pre‑release coverage placed The Beast between DL1 and DL2

Early write‑ups leaned on the “13 years after The Following” line and assumed that meant the game bridged 2016 to the late 2020s. In practice, the 13 years are Crane’s captivity, which ends in 2036; The Beast then follows Dying Light 2. The released game and Techland’s materials settle the placement post‑DL2, with in‑game text narrowing it to fall 2037.

Takeaway

If you’re mapping your replay: play Dying Light, The Following, Dying Light 2, then The Beast. The spin‑off lives in late 2037, roughly a year after Dying Light 2, and the “13 years” everyone cites belong to Crane’s captivity that concludes by 2036.