Yes, Dying Light: The Beast has New Game Plus. It arrived in Update 1.4 on 27 November 2025: finish the story and you can replay it with all your gear, weapons and character progression, against tougher enemies, with higher-tier weapons and loot to match. You can repeat it as often as you like, and each completed run raises the difficulty again.
Two other modes come with their own rewards and are easy to mix up with it. Nightmare, added in Update 1.5 on 17 December 2025, is a difficulty setting with survival mechanics. "Permadeath" is the One Life option in Restored Land, a separate survival mode added on 26 March 2026 that has its own saves and no New Game+ at all. Here is what each one carries over, what it pays out and the order that wastes the least time.
Everything below is checked against patch 1.7 (17 September 2026), the latest as of 21 October 2026. Techland's CEO said on 14 October 2026 that no substantial new content is planned, so these reward lists should be final.
How to start New Game Plus
Finish the main story, then start New Game+ on that completed save from the main menu. Techland's patch notes mention a New Game+ setup screen that shows the recommended Legend Level for the tier you are about to start (Update 1.5 fixed it showing the wrong crest), and you pick your difficulty there. Since Update 1.5 the game also checks your Legend Level when a run starts and sets enemy difficulty to match.
On a new run Olivia hands you her starter gear again. Hotfix 1.6.3 fixed players receiving it twice and made it sellable to vendors, so you can turn it straight into cash. Finishing a run unlocks the Second Ascent achievement, which Steam's global stats show only 3.4% of players have earned.
What carries over and what resets
Techland's wording is broad: you keep "all gear, weapons and character progression", and its October 2025 roadmap spelled that out as your XP progression, skills and items. Creator Diamond ultra's walkthrough adds the details: weapons, accessories, gear, crafting parts and the grappling hook all come with you, while the map resets, so story quests, side quests, safe zones and substations can be done again for their XP.
New Game+ also adds its own rewards. According to the same walkthrough, activating safe zones and substations drops small chests of crafting parts, side quests give medium chests that can include legendary weapons, and story missions give the largest chests. Creators also show an NG+ hat with a 5% XP bonus whose look changes with the number of runs you have completed. Treat those details as creator-reported; Techland's notes only promise higher-tier weapons and loot. For the weapons that are worth chasing either way, see our legendary weapons guide.
How NG+ tiers scale
Each completed run makes enemies stronger and unlocks rarer weapons. Techland has not published a tier cap, coverage of Update 1.4 described the runs as unlimited, and creators have posted runs at NG+10 and beyond. Higher tiers also pay more XP: players have reported multipliers of 2.5x on NG+1, 4x on NG+2 and 5.5x on NG+3, although another player saw different values.
The important rule is the link to Legend Levels. Update 1.5 says that "Reaching Legend Level 300 before reaching NewGame+ 10 will make enemies' difficulty adjust accordingly." One Steam player at NG+5 described Volatiles going from one hit to around ten the moment he reached Legend 300 (January 2026). If you farm Legend Levels hard in a low tier, the game catches up with you. The same update also fixed the explosion strength of Suiciders and gas tank infected at higher tiers. Our max level guide explains the Legend cap, and the XP farm guide covers which farms still pay.
Nightmare: harder rules and exclusive rewards
Nightmare is a difficulty, not a mode, so you can pick it for a fresh save or a New Game+ run. Techland's description: human and infected enemies are stronger, smarter and quicker to react, some Dark Zones hold Volatiles during the day, and resources are scarce. You also manage hunger, which affects stamina, health regeneration and combat, and a flashlight battery that dims as it drains. At night the Alpha Volatile tracks your scent, ignores the UV light from your flashlight and hunts you until you reach a safe zone or kill it.
Techland promises "unique charms, and a special outfit, and a new vehicle skin" for the hardest challenges. Players who finished the story on Nightmare report a beaver mascot costume and the Nightmarish truck skin, which glows at night, plus trophy charms for beating the Chimera bosses, Beast Aiden and the Baron. Creators stress that they never changed difficulty during the run, so do not drop it to Survival for a tough fight. Steam shows 2.4% of players with The Nightmare is over.
Permadeath: Restored Land's One Life mode
Restored Land is a separate entry in the main menu with its own saves. It is solo only, with two difficulty choices (Survivor or Brutal), and the world is persistent: killed enemies stay dead, loot can be collected once, and Convoys, Dark Zones and Hives can each be cleared once. Hunger and the draining flashlight are part of it, though Hotfix 1.6.3 made them optional and off by default and added fast travel from completed safe zones and hubs. Your level is capped at 15, with no Legend Levels and no New Game+.
The One Life option is the permadeath challenge: die once and the run is over. The rewards are listed on Techland's support site. Finishing the Restored Land story gives the Survivalist Outfit, the Chainsword, the Doomsday Runner vehicle skin and the Weapon Retention Gizmo charm. Finishing it with One Life adds the Deathless Outfit, special recognition in co-op and, per the release notes, "unique surprises within Town Hall". Securing every sector on the map earns the Purge of the Unclean charm.
Every reward, mode by mode
The table lists what each mode gives and how many Steam players have the matching achievement. Event cosmetics such as the Call of the Beast rewards are separate; our event rewards guide covers those.
| Mode | How you earn it | Rewards | Achievement (Steam players) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legend Levels | Reach Level 15 in the campaign | 22 weapons, Ranger and Vanguard outfits, vehicle skins, Legend Points | The Legend Dawns (18.3%) |
| New Game+ | Finish the story, then start NG+ | Keep everything; stronger, rarer loot each tier; NG+ chests and hat (creator-reported) | Second Ascent (3.4%) |
| Nightmare | Finish the story on Nightmare without lowering it | Beaver costume, Nightmarish truck skin, boss trophy charms | The Nightmare is over (2.4%) |
| Restored Land | Finish the Restored Land story | Survivalist Outfit, Chainsword, Doomsday Runner skin, Weapon Retention Gizmo charm | True Survivor (1.9%) |
| One Life (permadeath) | Finish Restored Land with One Life on | Deathless Outfit, co-op recognition, Town Hall surprises | Unbeatable (1.0%) |
| Every Restored Land sector | Reclaim all regions in Restored Land | Purge of the Unclean charm | Peace Bringer (0.9%) |
The order we recommend
- Finish the story on Survival or Brutal. Do side quests as you go for the XP, but do not grind Legend Levels yet.
- Start NG+1 on Nightmare. You keep all your gear, which makes Nightmare far gentler than a fresh save, and one run can work toward both Second Ascent and The Nightmare is over. Achievement guides recommend exactly this, while noting that Techland has not spelled out how the two unlocks stack. Do not lower the difficulty until the credits roll.
- Chain further NG+ runs for Legend Levels. Let the tier and your Legend Level rise together so the 300 rule does not ambush you.
- Do Restored Land last. Its saves are separate, so your gear and Legend Levels do not carry in, and the Level 15 cap evens things out anyway. Techland says the completion outfit works across all your saves. Achievement guides suggest a normal run first and One Life once you know the route.
If you only want the items, our All Unlocked Legend Level 300 save for PS5 and PC already includes the Legend, New Game+, Nightmare and Permadeath rewards. Our other Beast services are on the Dying Light store page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Dying Light: The Beast have New Game Plus?
Yes. New Game+ was added in Update 1.4 on 27 November 2025, together with Legend Levels. Older forum posts saying it does not exist predate that update.
How do you start New Game Plus?
Finish the main story, then start New Game+ on that completed save from the main menu. The setup screen lets you pick the difficulty and shows a recommended Legend Level for the tier.
What carries over into NG+?
Your gear, weapons, skills, XP and Legend progress. The map resets, so story quests, side quests, safe zones and substations can be done again.
Can you play New Game Plus on Nightmare?
Yes. Nightmare is a difficulty, so you can choose it for an NG+ run. Achievement guides recommend NG+1 on Nightmare to work toward both achievements in one run.
What are the Nightmare mode rewards?
Techland promises unique charms, a special outfit and a vehicle skin. Players report a beaver mascot costume, the glowing Nightmarish truck skin and trophy charms from the story bosses, earned by finishing the story without lowering the difficulty.
Is Restored Land the same as permadeath?
Only with the One Life option on. Restored Land itself is a persistent survival mode with its own saves and a Level 15 cap. One Life ends the run on your first death and rewards the Deathless Outfit.