BGA Game Studios has released the first gameplay teaser for the large-scale fan project Dying Light 2: Renaissance. The big news is that the mod will bring back the Elysium district, which Techland cut from the final version before its 2022 release. The trailer has already appeared online, and the community is absolutely thrilled – fans have been waiting for this moment for years.
Techland showed off Elysium in promotional materials before the game’s release – the district was conceived as a fashionable part of the city with extensive Parisian buildings, ideal for parkour. It was supposed to feature a comprehensive quest tree, its own lore, and a dense urban environment where the game’s movement mechanics would be fully realized. But for unknown reasons, the location was cut. Fans hoped for years that Techland would add it through DLC, but it never happened.
The Renaissance developers are open about the mod’s origins: they’re based on a massive document that surfaced online several years ago, revealing hundreds of pages of cut content. The team has literally dug into these leaks to restore the original vision for Dying Light 2—the one shown at E3 2018 but never made it to release.
The teaser, however, is a rough one. The creators themselves have warned: the video was recorded directly in the developer’s editor, not the final version of the game. The footage shows flickering, unstable shadows, and lighting issues—the result of the lack of a full-fledged LOD model system and the use of frame generation. A discerning viewer will spot these flaws immediately. But the developers confidently state: everything will be fixed by release; what’s shown is just an early build.
The community’s reaction has already been extremely positive. One fan wrote:
“Look how this community attracts more players than Techland ever had.”
Another added:
“Can’t wait, this is the true DL2 we deserve… E3 fans forever.”
And to appreciate the scale, just look at the comments below the news – they’re filled with emotion.
It’s worth noting: Renaissance is an unofficial mod, not an add-on from Techland. The project has been around for several months, and the creators promise it will be one of the most extensive user-made mods for the game. The release window hasn’t yet been revealed – a date is expected before the end of the year. In the coming months, BGA Game Studios plans to reveal more gameplay, new locations, and details.
Besides Renaissance, the studio is working on a second major mod, Dying Light 2: The Outcast, which will add a new storyline, maps, and mechanics. Both projects draw inspiration from the same leaks about cut content. It seems fans are determined to restore everything Techland once abandoned.
Elysium is back. It’s still just a teaser, with shimmering shadows and raw textures. But for those who remember E3 2018, this is more than just a mod—it’s a tribute to the Dying Light 2 that could have been.
