Long-awaited zombie-slaying adventure Dead Island 2 has been pushed forward by a single week, and will now release on 21 April 2023. According to developer Dambuster Studios, this is a result of the game ‘going gold’ – a term used to reference a game’s completion, and preparation to be copied and sold.
‘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,’ the Twitter announcement read. No further details were provided – but it’s clear Dambuster and publisher Deep Silver are now more than satisfied with the game, and ready to ramp up its marketing cycle ahead of release.
In various Twitter replies, the official Dead Island account has confirmed and reiterated the game’s imminent launch, speaking to the patience of fans. ‘We’ve all been waiting for too long,’ the Twitter account wrote. ‘We love you all.’
At this stage, gold status means it’s unlikely the game will be delayed further, so fans can look forward to a fully-fledged release in April 2023.
Notably, the move has a twofold impact. Not only will it satisfy fans who’ve waited for more news after a string of disappointing delays – the game was originally released at E3 2014 – it will also shift the game one week away from Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.
This EA blockbuster was originally set to launch in March 2023 and was later delayed by six weeks, to 28 April 2023, the original release date for Dead Island 2. While the games both have their passionate fanbases, releasing two major titles on the same date is never advisable – particularly when one is a major Disney and EA-backed project set in the beloved Star Wars universe.
Releasing earlier will hopefully give Dead Island 2 some room to breathe before the Jedi overtake the dominant conversations in the video game world.
For now, keen fans can look forward to a 21 April 2023 release date for Dead Island 2. The game will release on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows PC.
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