Summary
- Dead Island 2 has been added to Xbox Game Pass with no prior announcement from Microsoft or publisher Deep Silver.
- Developed by Dambuster Studios, Dead Island 2 sold over a million copies in just three days.
- Xbox Game Pass continues to add new games, including Inkulinati and Bluey: The Videogame, on February 22.
Xbox Game Pass has added Dead Island 2 to its lineup of titles available to subscribers with no announcement from Microsoft or publisher Deep Silver. Two games were expected to become available on the service on February 22, but Dead Island 2 was not one of them. However, this wouldn’t be the first time a game was added unexpectedly, as Tales of Arise was also added to Xbox Game Pass on February 20 with no prior announcement.
Developed by Dambuster Studios, Dead Island 2 came out in April 2023 on PC, as well as last and current-gen consoles, receiving predominantly positive reviews from critics. Dead Island 2 became Deep Silver’s biggest launch to date, selling over a million copies in just three days and hitting the two million milestone by May.
Despite that, some people may not have yet played what many consider to be one of the best co-op zombie games currently on the market. Xbox Game Pass subscribers now have a chance to remedy that with Dead Island 2’s surprise release on the service on February 22. It's worth noting that, currently, it seems to be available only through Xbox Game Pass and not PC Game Pass.
It’s unknown if the game’s addition to Microsoft’s subscription service was accidental. On February 20, Xbox Game Pass confirmed six more games coming through the end of the month and into March, but Dead Island 2 was not on the list. Of the upcoming titles, Maneater and Indivisible will be returning after having already been in the Game Pass library and removed. Madden NFL 24 has been available on Xbox Game Pass but will now be playable via Xbox Cloud Gaming as well.
Xbox Game Pass Games Still Coming in February 2024
- Maneater - Console, PC, Cloud - February 27
- Madden NFL 24 (EA Play) - Cloud - February 27
- Indivisible - Console, PC, Cloud - February 28
- Space Engineers - Console, PC, Cloud - February 29
In addition to Dead Island 2, Xbox Game Pass added Inkulinati and Bluey: The Videogame to its constantly rotating catalog of titles on February 22. Inkulinati has been available on the subscription service in early access since January 31, but its full version 1.0 launched on February 22. A unique strategy game that was inspired by medieval manuscripts, Inkulinati is tougher and more complex than it looks at first glance. Bluey: The Videogame, originally released in November 2023 on multiple platforms, is the second video game adaptation of the popular children’s cartoon. It is a sandbox game that features a brand-new story and the voice actors from the TV show.
But for something a little more action oriented, gamers can’t go wrong with Dead Island 2. Though it offers online co-op for up to 3 players, solo players can have a blast as well. The first-person action RPG takes place in a Los Angeles overrun by zombies, about 14 years after the events of the first game. The city is under quarantine, and six survivors end up stranded on the wrong side of the fence.
Dead Island 2
- Released
- April 21, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
The open-world zombie slaying action RPG makes its long-awaited return. Dead Island is back, and with it comes a host of enhancements to its winning combination of creative first-person zombie slaying, pitch-black humor and open-world exploration. Welcome to HELL-A. The City of Angels has been transformed into a hellish sprawl, its populace now mutated into disgusting zombies with an insatiable appetite for humans. In this extensive, visceral RPG experience you’ll journey to iconic LA locations, taking on quests, meeting eccentric survivors and enjoying a joyously pulpy narrative along the way. The game’s brutal melee combat gives you access to an expansive array of inventive zombie-slaying weaponry that lets you slice, smash and tear through the hordes before they get the chance to do the same to you. Can you survive HELL-A?
- Developer(s)
- Dambuster Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Deep Silver
- Franchise
- Dead Island
- Number of Players
- 1-3
- Platform(s)
- PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
