The wait between reveal and launch for Dead Island 2 has been a long one, and it just got a little bit longer. Dambuster Studios revealed its arrival has been pushed back from February 3 to April 28, 2023.“The irony of delaying Dead Island 2 is not lost on us,” Dambuster writes in a statement. “The delay is just 12 short weeks and development is on the final straight now. We're going to take the time we need to make sure we launch a game we are proud to launch.” There's also no getting around switching the date moves Dead Island 2 out of what has become a pretty busy period.RELATED: I Played Dead Island 2 Seven Years Ago And That Game Doesn't Exist AnymoreFinding a gap in February 2023 in which a game won't be competing with another heavy hitter is getting more and more difficult. Dead Island's sequel would have been going up against the Dead Space remake and Hogwart's Legacy had its release date remained unchanged, as highlighted by Push Square. It currently has nothing to compete with at all in April, although it's rumored Diablo 4 will be arriving around that time.

Dead Island's February 2023 release date was finally revealed and confirmed earlier this year. Rumors that the sequel really did still exist had been circulating for a while thanks to leaks and ratings. So much time had passed since Dead Island 2 was first announced, players who pre-ordered the game eight years ago shared proof that they still have them, questioning whether they'll be honored after almost a decade had passed.

In the grand scheme of things, people who have been waiting eight years for the game hopefully won't be too bothered at 12 additional weeks being thrown onto the end of the timeline. Yes, the sequel has been in development for a very long time, but studios will have learned lessons these past few years regarding putting games out there too early and potentially unfinished. After eight years, Dead Island 2 needs to be the absolute best game it can possibly be.

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