Back in 2014, there was an initial version of Dead Island 2 under development by Dambuster Studios and published by Deep Silver. However, it’s only now that they have shared details about this earlier take on the game, which saw success with its 2023 release.
At a conference known as Develop:Brighton (thanks to GamesIndustry.biz for the coverage), Martin Wein – previously head of communications at Deep Silver and now with GameFlex Consultants – stated that the iteration of Dead Island 2 in development might have permanently ended the Dead Island series.
When it comes to the developer, Yager, working on Dead Island 2, Wein mentioned that the project faced delays due to the development team deviating from the original design concept of Dead Island 2. “I can even provide an example where myself and the product team were responsible for approximately an eight-year delay in the product,” said Wein during the discussion.
Initially, I was collaborating on it with our creative group and felt immensely proud of the trailer we produced. However, around three to four weeks later, there was a significant advancement with the development team responsible at the time. Unfortunately, that game turned out to be incredibly disappointing.
He clarified that the original ‘Dead Island’ didn’t owe its fun factor to the specific elements we were considering. After conducting a play test, we received terrible feedback. So, we gathered the development team and asked what should be done next. They responded, ‘We’ve got it under control, let us handle it.’
Approximately two or three months after the initial playtests, Wein characterized the game as essentially unchanged from when it received unfavorable feedback. Referencing some of the criticism, Wein described it as being “unenjoyable,” “not engaging,” and “failing to capture the feel of the Dead Island I played.
To wrap things up, we ultimately needed to reclaim the project from the outside developer, hire another team, which led to quite a shift in the game’s trajectory. Originally planned for release in 2015, when exactly was it launched? Ah, that would be 2023.
In certain situations, Wein emphasized that publishers must confront tough choices regarding their projects, explaining that “at that particular moment, we could have released a subpar game. It might have generated income, but it would have damaged the brand.
He remarked, “At that critical juncture, I believe Deep Silver made the appropriate decision, and Dead Island 2 ultimately proved to be commercially successful. This was possible because they chose to create a game tailored to the player’s preferences.
Due to a significantly extended timeline since its initial announcement, the development of Dead Island 2 underwent numerous changes involving different teams. Teams like Yager, who worked on Spec Ops: The Line, and Sumo Digital, known for Crackdown 3, were among those that took charge before Deep Silver’s internal studio, Dambuster Studios, eventually completed the project themselves.
You can play Dead Island 2 on your PC, PlayStation 5, or Xbox Series X/S. If you’d like to learn more about this cooperative zombie slashing role-playing game, feel free to read our review for additional insights.
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2025-07-15 19:41