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In a genre dominated by blood, grit, and post-apocalyptic dread, Techland has chosen to cut through the noise with humour and charm.
The Castor Woods campaign is the studio’s latest initiative - a tongue-in-cheek tourism promo for the game's gorgeous mountain region, presented as a quirky vacation spot. Front and centre is Bober, a cheerful beaver mascot who invites players to explore the woods...if they dare.
Survival horror, but make it adorable
But, Bober is far from being just a throwaway gag. According to Franchise Director Tymon Smektała, the character - and the entire Castor Woods setting - grew organically from worldbuilding sessions within the team.
“While working on the world of Dying Light: The Beast, it was important to us that it be filled with hidden stories and small, interesting details,” said Smektała. “At one point, our artists pitched the idea of including beavers - and we loved it. What started as a small environmental detail quickly evolved into something much bigger.”
Art Director Katarzyna Tarnacka-Polito added that the beavers even helped shape the geography of the region. “Part of the Castor Woods locations are flooded,” she explained. “When we started asking ourselves why, our brainstorms led us to beavers. We created a backstory especially for this purpose: the Castor Woods valley has always been home to a large beaver population. Without humans around, they reshaped the flow of rivers. From there, we just kept expanding the idea.”
A fresh approach to franchise promotion
Techland’s unique marketing effort certainly has the potential to create buzz for Dying Light: The Beast. Rather than relying solely on gore and high-stakes gameplay teasers, the studio is using humour, lore-driven storytelling, and charming characters to make the world feel as believalbe as possible.
And it’s working. Fans are already engaging with the character of Bober online, with many praising the unexpected and offbeat nature of the promotion.
"holy s***, they are putting so much effort into the advertising, I'm so hyped," one YouTube commenter said.
With Dying Light: The Beast still in development, this campaign signals that Techland is going all-in on worldbuilding, not just in the game, but in how they present it to players.
Whether you’re here for the infected or the beavers, one thing’s for sure - Castor Woods is shaping up to be a destination worth visiting with a few improvised weapons in your backpack.
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