Dying Light 2 Stay Human Guide – How to Gain XP and Unlock Skills Faster

Much like the first game, the path to earning XP in Dying Light 2 Stay Human is littered with Infected. Whether you’re fighting them up close or parkouring past them, you’ll earn Combat XP or Parkour XP respectively. The more XP garnered for each, the more quickly you can unlock skills in the Combat and Parkour trees.

Starting out, however, you can feel fairly weak especially without decent weapons, health or Stamina to really put up a fight. In order to gain XP quickly, there are a few quick tips to follow. First is to locate any Windmills in Villedor (aka The City) and activate them. Use your binoculars and if the icon is white, you’ll have enough Stamina to scale it (red means you need more). Once it’s activated, you’ll open up different side quests and challenges.

The best – and safest – method is to now complete as many side quests and Challenges as possible. You’ll be awarded hefty amounts of Combat and Parkour XP along with other rewards so it’s worth enduring the truly horrid dialogue that some NPCs can have. Challenges are also a great way to garner XP – they’re either Combat or Parkour focused, and generally very quick to complete.

As you roam The City, make sure to keep an eye out for any random encounters. They usually involve dispatching enemies and can be completed pretty quickly. If you alternate between side quests, encounters, Challenges and the main missions, then you’ll level up at a fairly quick rate.

Of course, any die-hard Dying Light fan will tell you that the real XP gains can be had at night. That’s because you receive double XP when parkouring or fighting at this time. Be warned though – the Infected are aggressive and faster, and won’t hesitate to swarm you. So how do you take advantage of this bonus?

First, make sure you have a hideout or base that’s easily accessible (the Bazaar in the beginning should work). This will be the place to escape into the safety of UV lights. Venture out into the night and locate a Howler. Attack it to alert other nearby Infected.

Either fight them or parkour away – all of your actions will garner double the usual XP. Aggroing a Howler will also initiate a chase. The chase meter can be seen in the lower middle of your screen and will slowly fill up as you fight or flee from the Infected. As it hits level 3, you’ll start earning four times the usual XP; at level 4, it provides five times the normal amount. However, post-level 3 is when the Volatiles show up so beware.

Once you’ve garnered enough XP, retreat to the safety of the UV lights in your base. It’s also possible to stay near the lights and keep going in and out to either attack or trigger another chase. As a general tip, it’s somewhat easier to earn Parkour XP with this method. You just have to make sure there’s a solid route for avoiding the Infected and possess enough Stamina to get away. Combat XP relies more on good gear and weapons. If you don’t have good weapons, then even the regular Infected can easily beat you down.

For farming Combat XP, it’s recommended to go in with some modded Artifact weapons and take down as many Infected as possible. If you’re feeling especially tough, then try taking down a Volatile or two as well when they show up. Again, once you’ve had enough, retreat to the safety of the UV lights.

Just remember to avoid dying at all costs. All of the XP earned during nighttime is wiped out if you die so if you need to beat a hasty retreat – especially since the Volatiles can one or two shot you, even if you’re fairly well-geared – then don’t be afraid to do so.

For more tips on farming Combat and Parkour XP, check out the video guides below by Idicus. Dying Light 2 Stay Human is currently available for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5 and PC. Check out our review for the game here.