Dead Island Special Edition unveiled

Announced today, the Dead Island Special Edition will be exclusive to specialty retailer GameStop and will contain the Bloodbath Arena downloadable content, which Deep Silver values at $10. As for the content, the Bloodbath Arena pack is composed of both single-player and multiplayer challenges in four distinct areas.

Waves of zombies--each billed as more difficult than the last--will assault players in the Bloodbath Arena content, with players tasked with killing them off and staying alive. Additionally, gamers can display and track their progress via the Bloodbath Arena's leaderboards. And to help gamers in their deathly pursuits, the content will include an exclusive weapon: the "brain wave bomb."

The Bloodbath Arena DLC will go on sale for those who did not purchase the special edition at a later date, said to be "shortly" after launch.

On top of the above-mentioned items, the special edition will include exclusive cover art and a blueprint for an in-game weapon called The Ripper, which is a baseball bat combined with a buzz saw.

The Dead Island Special Edition will be available at no extra charge to "early" preorder customers at GameStop for a limited time and while supplies last. For more on the title, check out GameSpot's most recent hands-on preview of Dead Island.