History of Dead Island 2 in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: May 15, 2025

Dead Island 2, developed by Dambuster Studios and published by Deep Silver, is a 2023 action role-playing game and the sequel to Dead Island. Set 15 years after the original games, the story unfolds in a quarantined, zombie-infested Los Angeles. Players navigate this chaotic environment, battling hordes of undead while uncovering the mysteries behind the outbreak.

2011: Dead Island Release

In 2011, the video game Dead Island was released; it is the predecessor to Dead Island 2.

2012: Yager Development Hired

In 2012, Yager Development was initially contracted to develop Dead Island 2.

2012: Yager's Pitch to Deep Silver

In Q3 2012, Yager Development successfully pitched Dead Island 2 to Deep Silver and established a new division, Yager Productions GmbH, for the game's development.

2014: Gamescom Gameplay Demo

At Gamescom 2014, Deep Silver showcased gameplay footage from an early version of Dead Island 2, set in California with landmarks like the Santa Monica Pier and Hollywood. The game was planned to feature four playable characters and eight-player cooperative multiplayer.

2014: E3 Announcement

At Sony's E3 2014 media briefing, Dead Island 2 was announced to be more vibrant than its predecessors.

July 2015: Yager Dropped From Development

In July 2015, Deep Silver announced that Yager had been dropped from Dead Island 2's development due to misalignment of visions, leading Yager Productions to file for insolvency.

2015: Original Release Schedule

Dead Island 2 was originally scheduled for a Q2 2015 release.

2015: Yager Development Removed

In 2015, Yager Development was removed from the Dead Island 2 project.

2015: Playable Version Leak

In 2015, a playable version of Dead Island 2 was under development

March 2016: Sumo Digital Takes Over

In March 2016, Sumo Digital, a UK-based studio, took over the development of Dead Island 2.

August 2017: Development Reiterated

In August 2017, Deep Silver reiterated that Dead Island 2 was still in development.

July 2018: Development Reiterated Again

In July 2018, Deep Silver made a similar statement, reiterating that Dead Island 2 was still in development.

August 2019: Dambuster Studios Takes Over Again

In August 2019, THQ Nordic announced that Dambuster Studios had taken over the development of Dead Island 2.

2019: Dambuster Studios Takes Over

In 2019, Dambuster Studios, an internal studio of Deep Silver, took over the development of Dead Island 2.

June 2020: Playable Version Leaked

In June 2020, a playable version of Dead Island 2 from 2015, which was still under development, was leaked.

November 2022: Release Delayed

In November 2022, it was announced that the release of Dead Island 2 would be delayed until April 28, 2023, to allow for additional development time.

February 3, 2023: Initial Release Date

Dead Island 2 was initially scheduled to release on February 3, 2023.

February 2023: Release Date Moved Up

In February 2023, the release date of Dead Island 2 was moved up a week to April 21, 2023.

April 2023: Dead Island 2 Release

In April 2023, Dead Island 2 was released for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S to generally positive reviews.

Sony PlayStation 4 500GB Console (Renewed)

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April 21, 2023: Dead Island 2 Release

On April 21, 2023, Dead Island 2 was released.

April 28, 2023: Delayed Release Date

Dead Island 2 was delayed until April 28, 2023.

May 2023: Sales Milestone

By May 2023, Dead Island 2 had sold over 2 million units.

November 2, 2023: Haus Expansion Release

On November 2, 2023, the first story expansion for Dead Island 2, titled Haus, was released, introducing a new location, three weapons, and eight skill cards.

2023: The Game Awards Nomination

In 2023, Dead Island 2 was nominated for "Best Action Game" at The Game Awards 2023.

2023: Dead Island 2 Release

In 2023, Dead Island 2, an action role-playing game developed by Dambuster Studios and published by Deep Silver, was released as a sequel to the 2011 video game Dead Island, set in a zombie-infested Los Angeles.

April 17, 2024: SOLA Festival Expansion Release

On April 17, 2024, the second story expansion for Dead Island 2, titled SOLA Festival, was released.

April 22, 2024: Steam Release

On April 22, 2024, Dead Island 2 was released on Steam.

May 2024: Sales Milestone

By May 2024, Dead Island 2 had sold 3 million units.

October 22, 2024: Neighbourhood Watch Release

On October 22, 2024, the cooperative horde mode "Neighbourhood Watch", a collaboration between Fishlabs and Dambuster Studios, was released for Dead Island 2, and Deep Silver will release the Ultimate Edition on the same day.