The Reasons Dying Light Chooses a Custom Engine Over UE5 Technology

Unreal Engine 5 has emerged as the preferred choice for numerous leading game development studios, and for good reason. This commercial engine caters to a diverse range of game genres while providing stunning visual quality, regardless of the project’s size or the team’s expertise. However, harnessing Unreal Engine 5 does come with substantial costs, particularly related to performance and hardware requirements.

While most titles created with Unreal Engine 5 boast impressive graphics, they often face challenges in scalability. High-end hardware is typically necessary to ensure a smooth visual experience and reliable performance. In stark contrast, Techland, the studio behind the recently launched Dying Light: The Beast, seems unconcerned with these limitations. Insights from my recent discussion with franchise director Tymon Smektała reveal why Techland has chosen to trust in its proprietary engine.

Techland’s C-Engine: The Backbone of Dying Light

Techland has redefined its approach to game development with the introduction of the C-Engine, originally derived from their Chrome Engine. This engine has been specifically engineered for the needs of Dying Light, providing outstanding performance and excellent scalability along with support for cutting-edge rendering technologies. With the release of Dying Light: The Beast, the engine has further evolved, offering superb performance across various hardware configurations while maintaining top-tier visual fidelity.

Dying Light: The Beast Screenshot — Image via Techland

Amidst a trend where many studios, such as Poland’s CD Projekt Red, transition from in-house technologies to Unreal Engine 5, I was keen to understand Techland’s reasoning for remaining with the C-Engine.

Our proprietary C-Engine is tailored specifically for what Dying Light needs: fast streaming of high-fidelity open worlds, dynamic day and night systems, detailed lighting. Additionally, our two core mechanics – physics-based first-person parkour and melee combat – are optimized here. It is our secret weapon. Utilizing our in-house technology provides us with complete control, enabling us to modify any system without being hampered by external updates or licensing restrictions. For Dying Light’s essence, C-Engine is simply the best fit.

This level of customization, combined with their internal team’s familiarity with the technology, empowers Techland to create expansive and richly detailed worlds that perform well across both PC and console platforms.

Ensuring Optimal Performance for All Players

Beyond employing their own technology, Techland emphasizes the importance of optimization from the early stages of development. Tymon highlighted that ensuring performance across a broad audience is ingrained in the company culture.

We take immense pride in our optimization process – it’s part of Techland’s culture. Our goal is to allow as many players as possible to enjoy our worlds, which is why we dedicate significant time to optimization, starting early to guarantee we are ready by launch day.

The results are evident; Dying Light: The Beast stands out as one of the top-performing games of the year, particularly on PC, and it’s refreshing to see Techland unwavering in their commitment to their proprietary technology.

Rooftops in Dying Light: The Beast — Screenshot by Prima Games

Sadly, optimization has become a secondary consideration for many other prominent AAA titles, especially those built on Unreal Engine 5. Whether it’s due to the engine’s constraints or developers’ tight schedules, it’s becoming increasingly clear that hardware limitations are not to blame.

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