Deep Silver Confirms Yager Is No Longer Developing Dead Island 2

It looks like Dead Island 2 is in trouble. Not long ago, we brought you the news that Deep Silver had opted to delay the action-adventure sequel into 2016, citing that the vision ultimately grew in the telling, and therefore needed further time to realize. However, the publisher has now announced that Spec Ops: The Line studio Yager is no longer developing the title.

In an official statement, Deep Silver confirmed the parting of ways, though noted that Dead Island 2 remains in development.

“With Dead Island 2, Deep Silver has always been dedicated to delivering the sequel that Dead Island fans deserve,” the company says in a prepared statement. “After careful consideration, today we announce the decision to part ways with development partner YAGER. We will continue working towards bringing our vision of Dead Island 2 to life, and we will share further information at a later stage.”

Without an official reason for the abrupt departure, it’s difficult to say whether the assets shown during last year’s E3 will be discarded altogether when the time comes for a new studio to take charge at the helm. What we do know is that the past twelve months have been quite tumultuous for Deep Silver, following the fallout with Crytek UK over Homefront: The Revolution, which has fallen off the radar.

That’s not to say that Dead Island 2 will suffer a similar fate, but a developer changeover in the throes of production is seldom good news. After principal developer Techland shifted over to Dying Light, Yager took the reins of the undead franchise, releasing the aforementioned vertical slice last year to kickstart the sequel’s journey to release. Mind you, whether it can return to the beaten path before long is ultimately in Deep Silver’s hands at this time.