Everything we know about Dead Island 2: Gameplay, setting & more

May 12, 2023

Dead Island 2 has been stuck in development hell for some time now, but gamers are still optimistic about hopping back into the series. Here’s everything we know so far about Dead Island 2, from its setting to a leaked release window.

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.

Dead Island 2 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, possible release date, and new developers.

Dead Island 2 trailer

E3 2014 reveal trailer

Despite being in development for nearly 10 years, there has only been one official trailer for Dead Island 2 – a CGI reveal trailer from E3 2014. Check it out below:

Is there a Dead Island 2 release date?

Unfortunately, there is still no official Dead Island 2 release date, but we have had some hints as to when it will finally drop.

Well-known leaker Tom Henderson claimed in a February 10 video that the game would be revealed “pretty soon,” with a release date of Q4 2022. However, he also noted that this could easily slip into early 2023 if there are any issues.

Similarly, Sacred Symbols host Colin Moriarty reported Dead Island 2 could be revealed in the near future, with a 2022 release looking likely. September was pinpointed as the absolute “soonest” month for a potential launch.

Nothing has been confirmed by the developers just yet, but if this information is anything to go by we could have some big Dead Island 2 news very soon.

Dead Island 2 will have different types of undead for players to deal with.

Dead Island 2 developers

Dead Island 2 is currently being worked on by Nottingham-based developer Dambuster Studios. But they are the fourth team to have been attached to the project, after many changes.

Developers of the first game, Techland, were originally set to return, but they opted to work on the Dying Light series instead. Yager Development were drafted in around 2012, before being replaced by Sumo Digital in 2015.

Finally, in 2019, it was announced that Dambuster, an internal studio at publisher Deep Silver, were taking the reins. The new team appears to have steadied the ship, and work on Dead Island 2 is in a good place according to reports.

Dead Island 2 setting

Moving away from the fictional Banoi island from the first game, Dead Island 2 is expected to take place in an open-world version of California. Both San Francisco and Los Angeles are set to feature, with popular landmarks littering the map.

This is based on information released early on in Dead Island 2’s long development, so there is always a chance that things have changed. But having already released a well-received trailer hinting at California as the setting, it’s unlikely that Deep Silver will have totally scrapped the original vision for the game.

The brutal melee combat made Dead Island an instant hit.

Dead Island 2 gameplay

Little is known about how Dead Island 2 will actually play, as we haven’t seen any gameplay footage since 2014. It’s safe to assume that it will retain the hack-and-slash melee combat that made the original a fan favorite, with some weapons like shotguns thrown into the mix.

Crafting was a huge part of Dead Island and it’s 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. 2022 could be a big year for news on the game, so be sure to check back here for the latest updates. For more on the biggest upcoming games, check out some of our other hubs:

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