Bloober Team hires Dying Light's former franchise director to scale its publishing arm through 2027
Summary
Techland's Dying Light franchise director Tymon Smektała exits after 13 years and becomes Executive Director of Bloober Team's co-development label Broken Mirror Games.
The move puts a multiplayer and franchise-management veteran in charge of Bloober's shift from single-project horror remakes to a four-title release slate running through 2027.
Broken Mirror Games already shipped Star Trek: Infection and I Hate This Place since launching in 2024, and now controls Saw: Genesis and Onyx: The Dark Grip.
"We are building a portfolio that will show its full potential over the coming years"
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The hire
Smektała joined Techland in 2013, worked on Dying Light and The Following, and became Franchise Director in November 2022 before leaving in May 2026.
He takes over Broken Mirror Games, the co-development label Bloober Team launched in 2024 to work with external studios on horror titles.
His first mandate covers two games already in production: Saw: Genesis, a 3v1 asymmetrical multiplayer horror title, and Onyx: The Dark Grip, a Nintendo Switch 2 handheld-only exclusive.
"Leading the imprint, shaping its creative direction and portfolio, and working with talented external studios to bring new perspectives on horror in gaming"
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Why it matters
Bloober built its reputation on single-project horror remakes and licensed work, including Blair Witch, Layers of Fear, and the Silent Hill 2 remake.
Broken Mirror Games lets the studio run co-development deals with external teams instead of staffing every project internally, spreading production risk across multiple titles and genres, including asymmetrical multiplayer.
Bloober counts four releases through the end of 2027: Cronos: Lazarus and Star Trek: Shadow Frontier from its in-house studio, plus Saw: Genesis and Onyx: The Dark Grip from Broken Mirror.
Recruiting a director who managed a live franchise portfolio at Techland signals Bloober is staffing Broken Mirror for sustained multi-title output rather than a one-off publishing experiment.
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Pipeline to watch
Saw: Genesis' Steam early access launch slipped to Q1 2027 after alpha testing flagged major issues, showing Broken Mirror will hold titles back rather than ship on a fixed date.
Onyx: The Dark Grip has no confirmed release date beyond a 2027 window and remains exclusive to Switch 2 handheld mode.
Smektała is soliciting new external partners directly: "If you're a developer, studio, or creator working on something interesting in horror, give me a shout!" - Tymon Smektała, Executive Director, Broken Mirror Games.
What this means
For Publishers & Developers: Lead Broken Mirror pitches with multi-year franchise roadmaps that match its new director's track record.
For Investors & VC: Build slip-risk buffers into Bloober revenue models for each co-developed 2027 title.
For Service Vendors: Pitch multiplayer QA and netcode support to Broken Mirror's external studios before early access.
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