Dead Island 2 has been stuck in development hell for some time now, but it finally resurfaced at Gamescom Opening Night 2022. Here’s everything we know so far about Dead Island 2, from its setting to its release date.
It’s been over a decade since the release of the original Dead Island in 2011, and fans have been hungry for another dose of zombie-slaying action ever since. Despite a relatively middling reaction from critics, it clearly made a splash as it went on to sell over five million copies.
The game was announced pretty shortly after, but slipped into an incredibly troubled development cycle that saw it hit with huge delays. Luckily, the zombie genre is still going strong, as games like Dying Light 2 and Back 4 Blood have proved recently, and Dead Island 2 still has plenty of hype behind it.
We’ve put everything we know so far about Dead Island 2 into one handy guide, including its setting, release date, and new developers.
Contents
Dead Island 2 trailer
E3 2014 reveal trailer
The first trailer for Dead Island 2 was released at E3 back in 2014, promising to take players through zombie-ridden Los Angeles.
Gamescom 2022 trailer
8 years after the first trailer for Dead Island 2 debuted at E3, a second trailer showed off even more of the gory wonder, with the tagline reading “see you in helL-A” a nod to the setting.
Dead Island 2 release date
Dead Island 2 will finally arrive on April 21, 2023, after having its release date brought forward from April 28 – after it was delayed from February 2023.
Dead Island 2 developers
Dead Island 2 is currently being developed by Nottingham-based developer Dambuster Studios. However, they are the fourth team to have been attached to the project, after various changes.
Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates on Esports, Gaming and more.
Dead Island 2 setting
Moving away from the fictional Banoi island from the first game, Dead Island 2 will take place in an open-world version of California, with the bulk of the game taking place in Los Angeles.
Players can expect to visit iconic locations that have been swarmed by the undead, such as the beaches of Venice or the upper-class streets of Bel Air.
Dead Island 2 gameplay
Dead Island 2 retains the first-person melee combat of the original and places greater emphasis on over-the-top gore. The team revealed via the PlayStation blog that they have created their own gore tech to make every combat as satisfying as possible.
This should pair nicely with the brutal melee weapons and powerful firearms at your disposal. The devs also claimed that their goal was to empower the player, rather than making them feel helpless they want each player to work out how to survive every encounter. To this end, stealth mechanics have also been added.
Crafting was a huge part of Dead Island and its DLC, so expect to see even more weird and wonderful weapons to carve through hordes of undead in the sequel. The Rage Mode system is also set to return, giving players a boost in a power as a reward for racking up kills.
That was everything we know so far about Dead Island 2. For more on the biggest upcoming games, check out some of our other release guides:
God of War Ragnarok | Gotham Knights | Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League | Wolverine | Spider-Man 2 | Forspoken | Gran Turismo 7 | KOTR Remake | Diablo 4