Dead Island 2 Is Still Coming, Publisher Deep Silver Confirms

It has not been an easy road for Dead Island 2. The game was first announced in 2014, but since then it lost its initial developer and faced considerable delays. Despite that, the game's publisher, Deep Silver, is assuring fans that the game is still in development and will definitely still release.

On Deep Silver's Dead Island Twitter account, the company has been responding to many tweets, asking if the game is still in the works. While it hasn't shared much more information (and nothing on a possible release date), it has said repeatedly that the game is still in the works and to watch the Twitter account for more details at a later date.

Dead Island 2 was supposed to release in 2016 (after facing delays that pushed the release window back a year). Unlike the original Dead Island, which was developed by Techland (which went on to create Dying Light), it was being developed by Yager. In 2015, Yager and publisher Deep Silver parted ways due to a "difference of vision" for the game, and Yager later filed for insolvency after the game deal dissolved. The game was seemingly shelved for many months, until Deep Silver announced a new developer was on board to make the game.

Sumo Digital, the UK studio behind Sonic & All Stars Racing Transformed and LittleBigPlanet 3, took over production in March 2016. "We're looking forward to exceeding fan expectation," the company said at the time. "[We have] an ambitious design that we're confident will take bone-crunching, visceral, zombie action to a whole new level."

Prior to its change of developers, publisher Deep Silver shared some details about the game. It will feature melee combat and role-playing elements like the original Dead Island, but also "never-before-seen" handcrafted weapons. The game will be set in California, with locations like the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and Venice Beach in LA playing backdrop to the action.

Deep Silver also said there will be "seamless" multiplayer for up to eight players, where you can "cooperate, compete, or simply coexist." The game will also feature a handful of dedicated classes that offer unique gameplay, including the action-focused Berserker and the stealth Hunter.