Everything we know about Dead Island 2: Release date, more

(Pocket-lint) – Dead Island 2 has been a long, long time coming, with rumours of cancellation and disaster swirling around the game for pretty much a decade. The first Dead Island arrived all the way back in 2011, after all, so we’re over a decade into the wait for its much-hyped sequel. The time is finally here, though, and Dead Island 2 is nearly upon us.

Here are all the key facts. For more upcoming games, check out our lists for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.

Dead Island 2 release date

Dead Island 2 has been delayed about as often as any game in recent memory (and that’s saying something given the industry’s approach). However, it now has a theoretically final release date in the calendar – 28 April 2023.

POCKET-LINT VIDEO OF THE DAY

The game was initially slated to come out long ago, but more recently was aiming for 12 weeks earlier before it was delayed – hopefully for the last time.

The delay is just 12 short weeks and development is on the final straight now.

The new release date for Dead Island 2 will be April 28th 2023.#DeadIsland #SeeYouInHELLA pic.twitter.com/Vf1NARTECo

— Dead Island (@deadislandgame) November 17, 2022

The sad fact is that we can never be sure a game will come out on time until right before its date, so stay tuned on this front!

Dead Island 2 platforms

Dead Island 2 was first mooted way back when it would have been an early title for the PS4 and Xbox One, but times have changed drastically since then. Now it’s instead releasing on a range of current-gen platforms too. You can pre-order it on PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One and PC.

squirrel_widget_12861200

Dead Island 2 trailers

There have been a whole heap of Dead Island 2 trailers since it was re-unveiled at Gamescom in the summer of 2022, including plenty of gameplay.

That reveal trailer is embedded below, and is an atmospheric, spunky look at what is going to potentially be a vibrant action game. This was followed immediately by an actual gameplay reveal, too, to flesh out some of its systems for viewers. Since then, publisher Deep Silver has been pretty free and easy with actual gameplay footage, and we got a longer look at the game in a dedicated showcase in December 2022, which included the below gameplay trailer.

This gives a longer look at the sort of weaponry we’ll be wielding in the final game, along with some clear glimpses of various environments and characters.

Dead Island 2 story

If you’ve checked out some of the trailers above, you’ll notice one massive departure from a story point of view in Dead Island 2 – it’s not set on an island! The first game was set on Banoi, a made-up island near Australia, but this time around we’re in a recreation of real-world Los Angeles in the United States, which makes for a very different feel.

Deep Silver

It seems closer to something like Grand Theft Auto in its approach, and we’ll be interested to see how the edges of the map are gated off in the absence of an ocean in three out of four directions. The game is seemingly set a few months after the first Dead Island, though, with California in a military-enforced lockdown, so barricades are likely.

We’ll play as a few different survivors, it would seem, potentially being able to swap between them. At least some of these player-characters have been bitten by zombies but seemingly not fatally infected, which we’d imagine will play a major role in the plot of the game.

Dead Island 2 gameplay

The first Dead Island (and its subsequent re-releases) is a violent, action-packed game that leans heavily on melee combat but features some gunplay as well.

Create the perfect gaming setup with the Govee Glide Hexa Pro Light Panels By Pocket-lint Promotion . 7 November 2022

These panels are perfect for making your gaming setup unique.

Deep Silver

It looks like Dead Island 2 will keep that candle burning, with a whole heap of weaponry to try out, from katanas to baseball bats and swords. You’ll be able to modify these using a crafting system to turn them into elemental weapons straight out of your imagination, which seems cool.

There will also be another range of firearms to pick up, although you’ll probably find that ammo is quite scarce to ensure they’re not too powerful.

Deep Silver

The game will be open-world, letting you roam around LA helping people out and making your way, although there’s no indication at present of any vehicles, so you’ll likely be moving around on foot for the most part.

Writing by Max Freeman-Mills.