Developer Techland would happily make Dead Island 2, if only Deep Silver would ask

By Kris Wouk August 17, 2015

techland open to developing dead island 2 screenshot 5

Last month we reported that Dead Island 2 developer Yager had been dropped from the project by publisher Deep Silver, who stated that its vision of the game and Yager’s had been starting to drift apart. While Deep Silver stresses that the game is still in development, no replacement developer has been announced so far.

While the series’ original developer Techland has since moved on to Dying Light, which eclipsed the Dead Island games in terms of both sales and critical reception, the studio isn’t happy to see its former IP floundering.

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“You’re never happy that some other developer failed, because it could have been us, basically,” Techland producer Tymon Smektala told VideoGamer. “And another thing that added to the feeling of sadness and disappointment was the fact that Dead Island is our child. It’s a title that we imagined, we developed. We made this game and we still have a very strong connection to that IP. So it’s very bad news.”

Smektala also has a solution for Deep Silver’s problem of finding a developer for Dead Island 2. He says that Techland would be happy to return to the series – all Deep Silver has to do is ask. But is there room for both Dying Light and Dead Island as franchises?

“I love Dead Island and I think there is a place for both franchises to strive in the market,” Smektala said. “As long as someone would be able to find something that would make them different, that would draw a clear line, ‘Okay, here’s Dead Island, here’s Dying Light’, and I think that’s doable, then why not?”

While Dead Island 2 remains stalled as Deep Silver searches for a developer, Techland is keeping itself busy. Last week the studio announced Dying Light: The Following, an expansion that takes the game out of the city and into the countryside.

Techland is also currently in the early stages of preparing a sequel to the game, which Smektala says the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One may not be able to handle.

Update: Smektala issued a statement stressing that he was talking about his personal opinion.

“After reading through some of the VideoGamer coverage of Dying Light: The Following produced after an interview at Gamescom, I’d like to again clarify that all of the statements I made about Dead Island 2 were my personal opinions only and in no way represent the views of the studio.”

“I am a huge fan of the original Dead Island as a gamer and would love the franchise to thrive, but any decisions regarding possible Techland’s involvement in its franchise are not mine to make, and are never as easy as just “asking”. At the moment I’m focusing on Dying Light: The Following hoping to deliver a great expansion to all the fans of the game.”

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Dead Island 2 supports experimental Amazon Alexa voice controls

A screamer yells on a beach in Dead Island 2.

Dead Island 2 was the final announcement of Gamescom Opening Night Live, and it made a solid first impression with its cinematic and gameplay reveal that highlighted a zombified Los Angeles. But did you know Dead Island 2 also features Amazon Alexa voice controls?
Shortly after Dead Island 2's announcement, Amazon unveiled Alexa Game Control via a developer blog. With Alexa Game Control, players can say specific phrases to trigger in-game interactions. Supported phrases for Dead Island 2 span weapon swapping ("Swap to my best weapon."), navigating ("Where is the nearest workbench?"), and gaining the attention of enemies ("Hey, zombie!"). Alexa Game Control will work for North American players who speak English when it launches alongside Dead Island 2.

Interestingly, Alexa Game Control won't require players to own an Echo device or say "Hey, Alexa" beforehand. Players can just say these phrases right into the headset they are using to play the game. Two caveats exist: The Verge confirmed that players will have to be connected to the internet, and Alexa Game Control's website says that players will have to connect their Amazon account to the game they're playing first. Dead Island 2 is the only game to support the technology, but Amazon has a form for interested developers to fill out.
I can't help but think back to the Kinect days and how developers poorly added voice functionality to games like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. I then recalled my playthrough of Ryse: Son of Rome a couple of years back, where the Kinect voice-driven sections stood out like a sore thumb and could be circumvented with a button press. Voice-driven video game controls haven't worked out thus far, but Alexa Game Control is attempting to bring it back into fashion. I'm curious to see whether it will enhance Dead Island 2 or add nothing substantial to the experience.
We'll be able to see if Alexa Game Control lives up to its promises soon, as Dead Island 2 will be released for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on February 3, 2023.

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First Dead Island 2 trailer shows off unique character builds

Dead Island 2.

After years of delays, rumors, and an early leak, Dambuster Studios and Deep Silver finally revealed Dead Island 2 to the masses at Gamescom Opening Night Live 2022. The trailer reintroduced us to the game after eight years, highlighting all of the wild character builds players can create and defeat hordes of zombies with. The game also got a February 3, 2023, release date, so the wait for Dead Island 2 won't be much longer.

Like the original, Dead Island 2 takes place in a tourist-heavy location. However, now we've gone from a vacation island to the City of Angels, Los Angeles. The trailer showed how players can explore and kill zombies in the various locales that Los Angeles has to offer. These areas range from high-class Beverly Hills neighborhoods to the sandy shores of Venice Beach. Six playable characters can be used to explore these different locations, and each can be highly customized to fit anyone's liking. These characters, called "Slayers," have fully customizable abilities that can be accessed using a brand-new skill system.

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Dead Island 2 leaks on Amazon with a February release date

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An Amazon listing for Dead Island 2 has been leaked, providing details about the long-awaited sequel. The release date noted on the listing is February 3, 2023. The listing also confirms that it will launch on at least PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Xbox platforms.

According to the listing, Dead Island 2 takes place in various locations across Los Angeles, including Venice Beach and Beverly Hills. There are six characters, called Slayers, to choose from with unique personalities and dialogues. They can be fully customized, and the game utilizes a new skill system that allows players to re-spec on the fly. There are a dozen zombie designs and types, each with their own mutations and attacks.