Dying Light Mod Tools Will Be Released To Players Soon

Dying Light developer Techland wants to help players build mods for their zombie game. They plan to release modding tools for the game for free in the near future.

"In their excitement, many PC players have already been creating mods that alter and revamp the game," the company said in announcement sent out today. "At Techland, we want to see more! As a sandbox game, Dying Light is a perfect material for modding. This is why we are currently working on free and extensive modding tools for the game. And we want players to tell what they would like to see."

It's a quick reversal for Techland, who managed to tick off the modding community just a week ago. They released a patch that prevented players from modifying the game files - a move that prevented players from either adding or changing items within the game. It also removed their ability to disable shadows - a common method for improving frames per second.

Meanwhile, publisher Warner Bros. was issuing takedown notices for mods that were published on public websites. They were far from game-breaking mods. Some simply removed the film grain visual effect, a tiny change that arguably made WB's product look better.

Techland apologized soon afterward for these actions and promised to support Dying Light modders:

With the recent patch (1.2.1) on Steam we blocked cheating to make sure the game’s PvP system (Be The Zombie) would not be abused. This, however, had the side-effect of hindering mod-makers from making changes to the game.Creating obstacles for modders has never been our intention, and we are sorry for the inconvenience. We are now working on a quick patch that will re-enable common tweaks while stopping cheating in the game’s multiplayer mode.

The studio said today that they want to help modders get recognition for their work as well.

"Modders were a massive part of our gaming community since Call of Juarez 2 and Dead Island - and we wish to continue that with Dying Light. This invitation is only the first stage of our cooperation with the gaming community. After the modding tools are released, we plan to actively support the coolest mods created by players."

If you've got an idea for a mod, you're encouraged to go share it with Techland at the new forum dedicated to the subject. On that forum, one player shared an early video of Super Aggressive Zombies Mod, designed to make the infected much harder to shake:

Dying Light

is set in a city overruned with infected. During the day, the player can scavenge for supplies and save fellow survivors. The zombies are slowed by the daylight so they won't pose too much of a threat unless they're in crowds. However, at night they become much faster and more alert. Players will have to rely on stealth, parkour and a range of melee weapons to keep the infected from eating them. You can find out what we thought of the game by reading our review.