It's been over six years since Dead Island 2 was originally announced, and it doesn't seem as though fans are any closer to actually getting their hands on the open world zombie game. Since its initial announcement, Dead Island 2 development has been restarted multiple times, with the title being passed from one studio to the next. While many fans may have given up on ever actually getting to play Dead Island 2, it seems as though the game is still in active development at Dambuster Studios.
Interacting with fans on Twitter, Deep Silver teased that Dead Island 2 is still in development, though it wasn't yet ready to share more information about the game. So while this confirms that Dead Island 2 is apparently still in the works, it doesn't give fans an idea of when they may get a more substantial look at the long-in-development game, and it also doesn't offer a hint as to how far along it is in development. Dead Island fans could very well have more years of waiting ahead of them, but for some, the acknowledgement of the game's existence is still preferable to silence.
There hasn't been an official update on Dead Island 2's progress since November 2019, at which point Deep Silver parent company Koch Media stated that it wanted to get the game right instead of rushing it out. But while it's been over a year since the last official Dead Island 2 update, there have been some other recent developments.
Back in April, a job listing suggested that Dead Island 2 was in development for next-gen consoles. By the time Dead Island 2 releases, the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X should be very well-established platforms, so it wouldn't be surprising at all to see the game come to next-gen consoles. It seems likely that if Dead Island 2 does come to PS5 and Xbox Series X, though, that it will also be available for current-gen consoles as well, especially since most titles will be cross-gen for the next couple of years at least.
Then this past summer, an early Dead Island 2 gameplay build leaked online, giving fans a taste of what could've been. However, with Dead Island 2 restarting development across multiple studios, it's hard to say if that leaked gameplay footage is an accurate representation of what the final product will be like.
The last big gaming event of 2020 is The Game Awards on December 10. It seems highly unlikely that any Dead Island 2 news will come there, but if there is anything to share about the game before the year is out, that's when it will happen. Dead Island 2 fans shouldn't hold their breath, but they may want to tune in just in case.
Dead Island 2 is in development.
Source: Game Informer