Dead Island 2has been one of the biggest gaming surprises in recent memory after being released as the sequel to a game that was long seen as dead and gone. On top of that, it wasn’t released until almost a decade after its 2014 announcement due to several studio turnovers, with Dambuster Studios being the last developer assigned to the project in 2019 and carrying it to its release in April 2023. Since then,Dead Island 2has received two significant content updates in its Haus and SOLA Festival story expansions, and Dambuster even confirmed in May 2024 via its official X account that there is still “moreDead Island 2content to come.”
It’s great to see one of the best zombie-slaying games receiving so much attention from its developers, especially as this attention is in response to the praise that has been showered onDead Island 2since its release. However, any content thatDead Island 2receives from here on out should be kept in moderation, simply for the sake of the franchise’s future. It’s unclear whether the developer is currently working onDead Island 3, thoughDambuster mentioned to Game Rant in a March 2023 interviewthat it was leaving room for the series' future. Nevertheless, whetherDead Island 3is currently in the works or not, any future majorDead Island 2updates need to be kept in check.
Dead Island 2has certainly earned its DLC additions, the Haus and SOLA Festival expansions. After a successful launch and mostly positive reception, it would only make sense forDead Island 2to continue receiving updates. However, regardless of how well they have been received, Haus and SOLA Festival are arguably enough forDead Island 2moving forward. While it’s highly unlikely that the “Dead Island 2content to come” that Dambuster mentioned is another wave of story DLC, nothing is certain. If there are any sizeable content additions, Dambuster may risk running theDead Island 2well dry while simultaneously delaying the development and release ofDead Island 3.
One of the main reasonsDead Island 2was such a surprise hit is because of how long it took to get here. The originalDead Islandwas released in 2011 with the sequel announced in 2014, only for it to not launch until 2023 and leave a whopping 12 years between it and the first game. The long wait left fans collectively managing their expectations, which ultimately helpedDead Island 2in the long run, but that still shouldn’t be the case withDead Island 3. Unfortunately, the longer Dambuster chooses to focus on developing moreDead Island 2content, the longer the wait could be for the next game.
More content forDead Island 2wouldn’t, in and of itself, be a bad thing. It is a great game that could justifiably receive more content due to the massive cliffhanger at the end of its story. However, Dambuster has made clear that its intentions withDead Island 2were to leave it open-ended on purpose to preserveDead Island’s future, which should includeDead Island 3. As such, ifDead Island 2continues to receive post-DLC content, that content needs to be minor, free, and not much to write home about except to maybe draw players back into the game for a bit. Just asDead Island 2was taken over in 2019 by Dambuster and then released in 2023, there arguably shouldn’t be more than 4 years between now and the release ofDead Island 3.
Dead Island 2
WHERE TO PLAY
The open-world zombie slaying action RPG makes its long-awaited return. Dead Island is back, and with it comes a host of enhancements to its winning combination of creative first-person zombie slaying, pitch-black humor and open-world exploration. Welcome to HELL-A. The City of Angels has been transformed into a hellish sprawl, its populace now mutated into disgusting zombies with an insatiable appetite for humans. In this extensive, visceral RPG experience you’ll journey to iconic LA locations, taking on quests, meeting eccentric survivors and enjoying a joyously pulpy narrative along the way. The game’s brutal melee combat gives you access to an expansive array of inventive zombie-slaying weaponry that lets you slice, smash and tear through the hordes before they get the chance to do the same to you. Can you survive HELL-A?
