Will Dying Light 2 be cross-platform?

With Dying Light 2’s release date just on the horizon and being released on multiple platforms, it has players wondering if it's cross-platform.

Dying Light 2 will be cross-platform, launching on Xbox Series X and Series S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC on February 4, 2022. However, do not confuse that with cross-platform play. They are not the same.

Then there’s cross-gen play, which confuses things further. So, let’s break this down into meaningful bits.

---

Dying Light 2 is unlikely to have cross-platform play, but cross-gen support is in the works

A title that is released cross-platform will be available in multiple forms. For example, God of War is available for PlayStation and PC. However, games with cross-platform play (crossplay) can interact across different hardware, such as Xbox owners playing Minecraft with PlayStation owners.

Dying Light 2 is the former. It’s being released on multiple platforms, but players won’t have the option to play across distinct hardware. On a Twitch Q&A livestream, Techland’s lead game designer Tymon Smektala had this to say about the cross-platform play:

“No, not at this moment. It won’t be available.”

While that does appear to silence cross-platform play for good, “No, not at this moment” could mean it will be possible in the far future. The phrasing is, admittedly, doing a lot of the work. It's a bummer, but he does follow up with another question about the cross-gen play:

“This won’t be possible at the launch of the game, but we are working to make it possible after the launch.”

Cross-gen play is similar to cross-platform play. However, cross-gen refers to hardware in the same family playing together, for example, PS4 owners playing online with PS5 owners. At the very least, Xbox and PlayStation fans will have the option to play with their buddies in the near future.

---

What about cross-progression?

Cross-progression includes achievements, trophies, and saved data. Xbox and PlayStation have their own form of saving data transfer, provided the same account is used. That’s helpful, considering Dying Light 2 is getting a free next-gen upgrade.

This means you won’t have to start from scratch if you manage to get your hands on either next-gen console.