Dead Island 2 Publisher Confirms Sequel Is Still In Development

Considering the convoluted nature of Dead Island 2‘s development history, you’d be forgiven for thinking the project was struck off years ago.

This is, after all, a sequel for which production has changed hands numerous times, itself often times an early sign of a game destined for the trash heap. Off the back of the original’s modest success, then publisher Deep Silver greenlighted a follow-up, not with original creator Techland in the hot seat, but relative unknown Yager Development.

That confirmation was followed by a prolonged period of radio silence until, in 2015, reports of Yager being removed from the project came flying in. The studio’s partnership with Deep Silver came to an abrupt and messy end due to what appeared to be creative differences, with several members of the former voicing their disappointment at the time over being stripped of the IP. In light of that debacle, all was thought lost until, in 2016, it was confirmed that Sumo Digital would be shouldering the workload.

Since then, we’ve not heard so much as a peep about Dead Island 2, though fears of a potential cancellation were raised once again recently, following THQ Nordic’s acquisition of Deep Silver. As it turns out, however, the project is still very much alive and currently in active development to boot.

The confirmation comes via Nordic’s most recent financial call, details from which can be found below.

So, the burning question now, of course, is when will Dead Island 2 be released? It’s wishful thinking to hope a 2019 window is possible, but with current-gen consoles and PC confirmed as release platforms, it’s likely to be with us before the end of 2020 – the generally consumed timeframe for when next-gen will arrive.

Either way, expect further details to arrive over the coming months. Stay tuned.