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Dead Island 2 release date brought forward: These are the best pre-order deals on PS4, Xbox and more

The gory and darkly comic zombie game returns to all platforms this April

Alex Lee
Tuesday 14 February 2023 14:08 GMT
There are several different versions of the game available to buy
There are several different versions of the game available to buy (The Independent)

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Dead Island 2 has been on quite the journey. The follow-up to the polarising first game, which saw players take on zombies on a tropical island, has had its release date pushed back for years and years. Now, the Dead Island 2 release date has changed again, but it’s gone in the other direction this time round, meaning you’ll be able to get it earlier than expected.

First announced in 2014, the Dead Island 2 game bandied between studios, as the sequel tried to find a development home, but when Dambuster of Deep Silver took over the production of the game in 2019, things started to get moving.

Now, Dambuster Studios has just announced Dead Island 2 will be released a week earlier than scheduled, with the dark comedy/horror game slated to launch on 21 April. In a tweet, the developer stated the game had “gone gold”, meaning development was finished, and it was now ready to be shipped.  

Dead Island 2 will be the first game to feature Alexa Game Control, enabling players to use Alexa voice commands to interact with NPCs (non-player characters), swap weapons and more.  

The game will be available to play on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One and PC via the Epic Games Store, and it is available to pre-order now. While there are still a couple of months left to wait, we’ve already started seeing some pre-order deals land at third-party retailers.

‘Dead Island 2’ release date

Dead Island 2 will be released on 21 April 2023. It’s taken a long time to get here, though, as the game has been delayed several times since it was green-lit in 2014.

It was originally slated for a 3 February release, but it was pushed back to 28 April towards the end of 2022, so, at least, it’s being brought forward this time.   

There are a number of different editions of the game available, and they all come with varying pre-order bonuses. We’ve outlined the differences between each edition and the best pre-order deals below.

Best ‘Dead Island 2’ pre-order deals

Best ‘Dead Island 2: Day One Edition’ pre-order deals

(Deep Silver)

Dead Island 2: Day One Edition is the common or garden variety game. While it doesn’t come with any extras if you buy it after it is released, there are currently some pre-order bonuses available.

Every pre-order comes with the Memories of Banoi pack. It includes a Banoi war club, a Banoi baseball bat and a personal space skill card. Independent games retailer Hit currently has the best pre-order deal on the game on Xbox, PS5 and PS4.

Best PS5 deals :

Best Xbox Series X/Xbox One deals:

Best PS4 deals:

Best PC deals:

Best ‘Dead Island 2 Pulp Edition’ pre-order deals

(Game)

The Dead Island 2 Pulp Edition is basically the standard edition of the game, but with a few extra bonuses. It’s a Game exclusive, so you can only get the Pulp Edition weapons pack, which comes with a homewrecker sledge hammer and the eye-opener pitchfork, if you buy the game from the retailer. It costs the same as the standard edtiion game (£54.99, Game.co.uk), so you won’t be paying any extra for the pulp items.  

If you pre-order it ahead of launch, you’ll get a few extra in-game items courtesy of the Memories of Banoi pack, including a Banoi war club, a Banoi baseball bat and a personal space skill card.

‘Dead Island 2’ Brain Freeze bundle: £64.99, Amazon.co.uk

(Amazon)

While Game has its exclusive items with the Pulp Edition, Amazon also has its own exclusive with its Brain Freeze bundle. As well as the game and the Memories of Banoi pack, you also get an exclusive 15cm x 20cm Dead Island 2 bar plaque featuring in-game artwork. It costs £64.99.

Best ‘Dead Island 2 Hell-A Edition’ pre-order deals

(Game)

The Dead Island 2 Hell-A Edition comes with several in-game and physical items. If you’re a big Dead Island fan, this one’s for you. As well as the game, you get a steelbook case, a Venice Beach travel map, six slayer tarot cards, two pin badges, a patch, an expansion pass, a pulp weapons pack and a golden weapons pack.

You also get the Memories of Banoi pack if you pre-order the game. It includes a Banoi war club, a Banoi baseball bat and a personal space skill card.

Only two retailers are currently selling the Hell-A Edition right now. Collector edition items like this often sell out fast and tend not to go on sale, however.

PS5:

PS4:

Xbox Series X/Xbox One:

‘Dead Island 2’ story and trailer

While the original Dead Island took place on a tropical island, Dead Island 2 takes place in Los Angeles, which is where “Hell-A” comes from. You’ll play as one of six different characters, battling zombies melee-style in an open-world environment. There’s a three-player co-op mode or you can play the game on your own. You can watch the gameplay trailer (age-restricted) on YouTube.

Voucher codes

If you’re looking for discounts on technology or video games, try one of these codes:

Want to know what other games are coming out this year? Read our guide to upcoming PS5 games

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