There's a new developer working on Dead Island 2, publisher THQ Nordic revealed recently.
Dead Island 2 has been in development hell for quite some time, having been officially announced all the way back in 2014. Since the game's first entertaining trailer, there hasn't been much news about the project. In fact, many even believed the long-gestating sequel might've been canceled outright.
Techland was originally working on Dead Island 2, but the studio has long since moved on to Dying Light. This is when Yager stepped in but was taken off the project just as quickly. The sequel was given to Sumo Digital but it went radio silent for quite some time... until now.
Dambuster Studios, the team behind Homefront: The Revolution are the latest studio to work on Dead Island 2, per Polygon. The developer is composed of folks from Crytek U.K. and Free Radical Design, and will now be in charge of the entire Dead Island franchise. Though finally getting a proper update on Dead Island 2 is great news, THQ Nordic did not reveal when the sequel might finally be released. As of now, it's looking highly unlikely it'll launch this year.
To put things into perspective, it's now been five years since Dead Island 2's announcement trailer. However, an update from THQ Nordic suggested the project could be released "soon." It was up for pre-order on the Microsoft Store, with a tentative release date of December 31, 2019, but this could very well just be a placeholder. Whether or not the game does come out this year, it certainly has a lot to prove to newcomers and Dead Island fans alike.
THQ Nordic recently made a load of other announcements. Volition is reportedly "deep in development" on a brand new Saints Row title. It'll be the latest full entry in the series since 2013's Saints Row 4, but like Dead Island 2 it does not have a release date yet. THQ Nordic also hinted that a new TimeSplitters title is being worked on as well, with series co-creator Steve Ellis helping out.
THQ Nordic has been busy acquiring studios and IPs and has plenty of exciting projects coming out in the near future. With Dead Island 2 back on track again, fans should keep a close eye on the publisher over the next few years.