Why Wasn’t Dying Light: Hellrunners Released?

Dying Light: Hellrunners was actually one of the most interesting projects in the series. Developed between 2016 and 2017, the game was intended to offer a completely new perspective on the Dying Light universe. The Techland team wanted to combine parkour and zombie themes with the “endless runner” genre. So, like Canabalt or Temple Run, the character would run continuously, jumping obstacles, overcoming zombies, and collecting points. However, despite the ingenious idea, the project didn’t last long.

Why Did Techland Shelving Hellrunners?

Techland team member Tymon Smektala spoke candidly about the cancellation of Hellrunners. According to the development team, the idea initially looked promising, but quickly became stuck within the genre’s limitations. Smektala explained why they discontinued the project: “We tried a Dying Light runner game, but after a few prototypes, we realized we couldn’t really innovate in this genre.”

While Hellrunners was initially conceived solely as an “endless runner,” a “level-based” system was later attempted. This meant that each level would have its own unique obstacles and enemy patterns. Despite this, the game lacked depth. In a series with a vast open-world experience like Dying Light, it became clear that such a simple structure would not attract long-term interest.

Some players confuse the Hellrunners with the Nightrunners group in Dying Light 2. However, Smektala states that there is no connection between the two concepts. While Hellrunners was canceled much earlier, the idea for Nightrunners emerged during the production of the second game. So, the only similarity between them is the name.

If Hellrunners had been realized, it would most likely have been released on mobile platforms. The endless runner genre was quite popular at the time, but Techland’s goal was to provide the series with a level of depth. When this failed to materialize, the project was quietly shelved. Looking back today, Hellrunners is perhaps remembered as one of the most anticipated but never played games in the Dying Light universe.

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