Balatro has swiftly become the indie king of the crossover. Sure, triple-A behemoths like Fortnite and Call of Duty are groaning with collaboration skins and events, but LocalThunk’s exceptional roguelike card game has already linked up with the likes of Cyberpunk 2077, Fallout, and Assassin’s Creed to create some themed card art. However, the tables have turned for its latest crossover, because it’s Balatro being injected into another world rather than the other way around. The game in question is Dying Light 2, and the results are, well, horrifying.
On paper, this is something of a perfect collab for us here at PCGamesN. You’ll see us regularly reminding you about how Dying Light 2 is one of the best zombie games around. The same goes for its predecessor, and Techaland will hopefully go three-for-three later this year when the Dying Light The Beast release date arrives. Meanwhile, Balatro was crowned our Game of the Year in 2024 thanks to its addictive gameplay loop. A crossover, then, sounds like the stuff of dreams – but I think it might give me nightmares.
As part of the new update hitting Dying Light 2 today, the totally free Balatro bundle will give you access to an extremely cursed skin that turns protagonist Aiden Caldwell into the card game’s mascot, Jimbo. Now you can explore Villedor and mash zombies into a pulp as the iconic joker himself. There’s also a themed paraglider for when you’re drifting high above the city streets. But the freebies aren’t just aesthetic. You can also unlock a new weapon blueprint for the Ceremonial Dagger, which increases damage multipliers, and a Joker Charm can be crafted that will bestow you with one of 12 random buffs or gameplay effects.
To unlock all the content in the Friends of Aiden bundle, you’ll have to embark on two new side missions that’ve just been added to the game. “To begin these new quests, simply look for the mysterious posters in the Bazaar and the Fish Eye. Conquer devilish riddles that will test your knowledge of Villedor,” Techland says.
The Dying Light 2 and Balatro crossover is live in Techland’s zombie game right now.
Today’s update also marks the beginning of a four-week event called UGC Fest, which celebrates community-created content. New bounties will direct you towards some featured activities and maps, and completing them will earn you some excellent rewards.
Coinciding with everything hitting Dying Light 2, the previously announced visual update for the original Dying Light is also now live, giving the ten-year-old game a generous graphical overhaul.
If you’re a big Dying Light fan, head to our list of the best open-world games for more experiences like it. If Balatro’s more your bag, check out our best card games guide.
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