What you need to know
- Dead Island 2 was first announced in 2014 before entering development hell.
- Though Yager Development was first tapped to helm the project, they were replaced by Sumo Digital and then finally Dambuster.
- Dead Island 2 will finally release on Feb. 3, 2023.
- It will feature six playable characters and be set in Los Angeles.
During Gamescom Opening Night Live, Dead Island 2 made an appearance after years in development hell. The title, first announced in 2014 as a sequel to the zombie survival horror from Techland, has had a troubled development cycle, shifting between multiple studios. Now fans have received a new glimpse with an expected release date of Feb. 3, 2023.
While Techland went on to develop the Dying Light series, Dead Island 2 was passed between Yager Development and Sumo Digital before settling at Dambuster, one of publisher Deep Silver’s internal studios.
Dead Island 2 will feature six playable characters and take place in Los Angeles. Or as the trailer affectionately calls it, Hell-A. Its 3-minute gameplay trailer features a ton of blood and gore, as expected given the apocalyptic setting. Players will be severing a lot of heads come February next year.
If you’re curious about how the tone of Dead Island 2 has changed — or hasn’t — its 2014 announcement trailer showcases a similar setting with a jogger slowly turning into a zombie as he runs next to the beach. Both trailers display a humorous tone, indicating it’s going for fun instead of serious like the first game.
Whether Dead Island 2 will live up to expectations is anyone’s guess, as eight years is a long time between an announcement and game release. Though some fans are skeptical given it’s changed hands a few times, others are optimistic that it will be a worthy sequel.
In addition to Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One, Dead Island 2 is coming to PS5, PS4, Stadia, and Alexa Game Control.
