Dying Light 2 has seemed in development hell for a while now, so news of another top developer leaving doesn't bode well, but Techland says it's not the end of the world.
Tenured developer Pawel Selinger has announced his departure from the Polish studio after 22 years in the building - and at home, to be precise, given the pandemic moving game dev away from the office this past year. Selinger leaves behind 22 years of experience at Techland and said in a statement that he is still rooting for the team.
After over twenty-two years, I decided to end my cooperation with Techland. I would like to express my gratitude to the company that has allowed me to develop and fulfill myself for half of my life. Techland, I will always be rooting for you, as well as the great people I have met thanks to you. I wish you that Dying light 2 and subsequent projects will become world hits.
In a longer statement to Game Informer, the studio also released a statement addressing Selinger's departure, once more assuring fans that the project is in good hands despite some high-profile departures as of late.
In connection with the information about the departure of Techland’s Art Director, we would like to reassure all fans of the upcoming Dying Light 2 that the position of Art Director is not threatened and has been held by Eric Cochonneau since November 2019. Eric has been taking care of every aspect of the upcoming production ever since and the team under his leadership is doing their best to offer players the best game possible.
Paweł Selinger, who has been the Narration Designer for the last two years, decided at the end of 2020 to end his cooperation with Techland and to pursue his further career elsewhere. Paweł spent most of his professional life at Techland and he, among others, takes credit for the success of the series Call of Juarez. He left a large piece of himself with Dying Light 2, as he worked on the project from the very beginning. His duties, i.e. the narrative department, were taken over by Piotr Szymanek in October 2020.
We will be sharing exciting news about Dying Light 2 soon!
It could be that Selinger's role on Dying Light 2 was essentially completed with the game seemingly near the finish line. In such cases, developers regularly move on from a project before it's completed if their specific role has been served to the fullest extent. The departure makes news only because Dying Light 2 has seemed stuck in development hell for years, with a summer 2020 report that the studio was in disarray. Techland categorically denied those rumors, but later lost writer Chris Avellone's involvement when he was alleged to have acted inappropriately in previous years.
Techland would likely love to give fans some good news soon, so we'll keep an eye out for any that comes available.
