Dead Island 2 goes gold and moves its launch up a week

The dead rise faster

Dead Island 2 is nearing a launch date, and it’s coming up faster than expected. Today, Deep Silver and Dambuster Studios confirm that Dead Island 2 has gone gold, and will be launching a week earlier than previously determined.

This puts Dead Island 2 on April 21, 2023, rather than April 28. No specific reason was given in today’s announcement.

You asked for it, you got it. Dead Island 2 went gold and it’s coming out a week early. 
See you in HELL-A on April 21, 2023.#DeadIsland #SeeYouInHELLA pic.twitter.com/8Gu28bIcUS

— Dead Island (@deadislandgame) February 13, 2023

This does push Dead Island 2 away from Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, which had also locked in an April 28 date. Both had moved to the end of April following delays, but now Dead Island 2 is shifting gears once more, now sharing a week with the return of Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp.

Moving on up

It’s a bit of a surprise to see a date moving up in the world of video games. Delays are usually more common, as teams need a few extra weeks to polish, tighten the screws, and put the final touches on a multi-year project. Still, we do see it from time-to-time. The gnarly Scorn moved its date up by a week last year, Martial arts brawler Sifu also bumped its date up a bit before launch, too.

Still, for Dead Island 2, it’s a bit of a surprise. First revealed at E3 2014, the zombified sequel has shambled through the years, eventually arriving at Dambuster Studios. The team there has finally got it together and ready to move out the door though, and it may be heartening for fans to see them so ready to hit the gas on the Dead Island sequel.

We’ll find out whether Dead Island 2 and its motley crew of slayers can truly stick the landing a little bit earlier than expected. Dead Island 2 is now slated to launch on April 21, 2023 on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC.

Eric Van Allen

Senior News Reporter