It’s been a rough road for Dead Island 2.
Ever since it was announced that Techland wouldn’t be returning to work on the sequel to Dead Island, instead choosing to begin work on Dying Light for Warner Bros., questions have surrounded the sequel to one of the biggest love-it-or-hate-it zombie games of the last console generation. For a time, it looked like the game would never see the light of day. Initially, Deep Silver gave the project to Yager Productions, best known for its work on Spec Ops: The Line; however, Deep Silver pulled Yager off Dead Island 2 last summer, forcing the studio to shut down.
According to a new report from MCV, the folks at Deep Silver believe they’ve found the team with the proper skills and vision to finish the unreleased Dead Island sequel. The publisher has signed a deal with Sumo Digital, known for its work on LittleBigPlanet and Disney Infinity franchises (among others), to finish developmental work on Dead Island 2. Neither company is releasing additional information on the deal at this time, leaving us in the dark when it comes to new release timelines, potential changes to the game’s story, etc. But Deep Silver says additional information will be released in the future.
For now, all either company is willing to say is how great it is to work together. There are proclamations of excitement and general flattery from both sides. But Sumo Digital’s upper management does at least seem to realize the position they’re in. Sumo Digital may have several big titles under its belt already but Dead Island 2 hasn’t exactly had the smoothest road to launch thus far. That said, the studio is confident it can create a worthwhile successor to Dead Island.
“It’s an honour to be charged with the evolution of such an important franchise,” Sumo COO Paul Porter told MCV. “We’re looking forward to exceeding fan expectation.”
Be sure to check back with iDigitalTimes.com and follow Scott on Twitter for additional Dead Island 2 coverage throughout 2016 and for however long Deep Silver and Sumo Digital continue to support Dead Island 2 in the months following launch.
