Despite no announcement from Microsoft, the 2023 zombie game Dead Island 2 is now on Xbox Game Pass. On February 21, people began reporting that Dead Island 2 was added to the catalog. Some feared it might have been a mistake. However, the game's official social media accounts and website subsequently confirmed it's legitimate.

Just a day prior, on February 20, Microsoft posted a list of upcoming titles for Xbox Game Pass, and Dead Island 2 was not mentioned. The Game Pass library is known to add titles in a surprise manner like this, so it's not unprecedented.

Dead Island 2 was released less than a year ago and sold about 2 million copies during its first month. The game had a very long and tumultuous road to release. It was announced in 2014 and went through multiple studio changes, with Dambuster Studios ultimately finishing the game and getting it out the door 12 years after the 2011 original Dead Island.

Dead Island 2 takes place in a version of Los Angeles that has been quarantined after a zombie outbreak. GameSpot's Dead Island 2 review scored the game a 7/10. Reviewer Mark Delaney said, "its deep melee combat systems and rich setting make it a better game than the original."

February's other Game Pass launches include Bluey: The Video Game, Maneater, and Space Engineers, among others. These two games are leaving the library on February 29.