Dead Island 2 was a long, long time coming, with rumours of cancellation and disaster swirling around the game for pretty much a decade.The first Dead Island arrived all the way back in 2011, after all, so it took over a decade for the much-hyped sequel to arrive. The time is finally here, though, and Dead Island 2 is now out. Here are all the key facts.For more upcoming games, check out our lists for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.

Dead Island 2 release date

Dead Island 2 was delayed about as often as any game in recent memory (and that's saying something given the industry's approach).

However, it is now out after hitting its final release date - 21 April 2023, which was a week earlier than planned.

The game was initially slated to come out long ago, but more recently was aiming for 12 weeks earlier before it was delayed.

How to buy Dead Island 2

With the game now out, you can now order Dead Island 2 for some zombie-slaying fun.

Dead Island 2 platforms

Dead Island 2 was first mooted way back when it would have been an early title for the PS4 and Xbox One, but times have changed drastically since then.

Now it's instead released on a range of current-gen platforms too. You can get it on PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One and PC.

Dead Island 2 trailers

There were a whole heap of Dead Island 2 trailers since it was re-unveiled at Gamescom in the summer of 2022, including plenty of gameplay.

That reveal trailer is embedded below, and is an atmospheric, spunky look at what eventually turned out to be a vibrant action game.

This was followed immediately by an actual gameplay reveal, too, to flesh out some of its systems for viewers.

Since then, publisher Deep Silver was pretty free and easy with actual gameplay footage, and we got a longer look at the game in a dedicated showcase in December 2022, which included the below gameplay trailer.

This gives a longer look at the sort of weaponry we'll be wielding in the game, along with some clear glimpses of various environments and characters.

Dead Island 2 story

If you've checked out some of the trailers above, you'll notice one massive departure from a story point of view in Dead Island 2 - it's not set on an island!

The first game was set on Banoi, a made-up island near Australia, but this time around we're in a recreation of real-world Los Angeles in the United States, which makes for a very different feel.

It seems closer to something like Grand Theft Auto in its approach, and we'll be interested to see how the edges of the map are gated off in the absence of an ocean in three out of four directions.

The game is set a few months after the first Dead Island, though, with California in a military-enforced lockdown, so barricades are likely.

We'll play as a few different survivors, it would seem, potentially being able to swap between them. At least some of these player-characters have been bitten by zombies but seemingly not fatally infected, which will play a major role in the game's plotlline.

Dead Island 2 gameplay

The first Dead Island (and its subsequent re-releases) is a violent, action-packed game that leans heavily on melee combat but features some gunplay as well.

It looks like Dead Island 2 keeps that candle burning, with a whole heap of weaponry to try out, from katanas to baseball bats and swords.

You'll be able to modify these using a crafting system to turn them into elemental weapons straight out of your imagination, which seems cool.

There will also be another range of firearms to pick up, although you'll probably find that ammo is quite scarce to ensure they're not too powerful.

The game will be open-world, letting you roam around LA helping people out and making your way, although there's no indication at present of any vehicles, so you'll likely be moving around on foot for the most part.