Dead Island 3 Is Officially In Development
Dead Island fans have waited a long time between games. The original Dead Island launched all the way back in 2011, and its sequel Dead Island 2 finally arrived 12 years later after a notoriously troubled development. Despite mixed reviews, Dead Island 2 still became the biggest launch in publisher Deep Silver’s history, proving there is plenty of life left in the zombie franchise.
Now it is official: Dead Island 3 is in development at Dambuster Studios, the same team that ultimately brought Dead Island 2 across the finish line. The confirmation comes from a recent financial report for Dambuster, shared online and covering the year ending March 31 2025.
The document states clearly that Dead Island 3 has moved into early production and even gives a provisional release window. Right now the studio is targeting a launch in the first half of 2028, though of course that is still years away and subject to change.
Considering how long Dead Island 2 took, the idea of waiting a few more years might sound rough. But this time Dambuster is in a much more stable position. The studio is building directly on the tech, experience, and systems developed for Dead Island 2, instead of restarting the project from scratch or passing it between multiple developers.
What The Financial Report Reveals
The financial statement sheds light on how focused Dambuster is on making Dead Island 3 a reality. As of March 2025, the studio employed 194 staff, and the document explains that after the release of Dead Island 2 Ultimate Edition in October 2024, Dead Island 3 became the primary focus for the entire company.
The report notes that all developers are already assigned to Dead Island 3. Once the remaining versions of Dead Island 2 for Amazon Luna and Mac are completed, the full quality assurance team will also be moved over to the new project. That means the whole studio will be pushing on the sequel, with no major side projects splitting attention.
Parts of the game are described as being in early production, with feature, character, world, and story design all “moving at pace.” For players, that suggests the core vision is already in place and the team is now deep into building the actual game rather than just high level concepts.
The predicted release window is currently listed as Q1 or Q2 of 2028. This is still an internal target rather than a public launch date, so it could shift as development progresses. However, it does give PC gamers a rough idea of when they can expect to return to Dead Island’s gleefully over the top zombie smashing.
This forward looking plan lines up with comments Dambuster already made in 2024. In a previous community update, the studio hinted that it was “carving out what comes next” and teased that “the outbreak is far from over.” At the time it sounded like a not very subtle nod toward a sequel. The financial report now makes that implication official.
What This Means For PC Gamers
For PC players, there are a few interesting implications in the way Dambuster is handling the series now.
More polished launch potential: Dead Island 2 was delayed for years and changed hands between developers, which almost never helps a game’s quality. With Dambuster leading Dead Island 3 from the start, there is a much better chance of a smoother development cycle and a more stable release on PC.
Stronger technology base: Dead Island 2 already proved it could deliver detailed zombie dismemberment systems and busy city environments on current platforms. Dead Island 3 can evolve that tech instead of reinventing the wheel, which may allow the team to push visuals, performance, and physics further on modern gaming PCs.
Full studio focus: With nearly 200 staff and eventually the entire QA team dedicated to one project, there is a clear signal that Deep Silver and Dambuster see Dead Island 3 as a major flagship release. That kind of backing usually translates into more content, better optimization, and longer term support after launch.
There are still many unanswered questions. We do not yet know where Dead Island 3 will be set, how it will connect to the characters and events of the previous games, or what new gameplay systems it will introduce. Fans will also be watching closely to see how Dambuster responds to criticism of Dead Island 2, such as its mission repetition and structure.
What is clear is that the franchise is not going away. After the success of Dead Island 2 and the confirmation that Dead Island 3 is now in active production, PC gamers can look forward to another round of co op carnage, improvised melee weapons, and blood soaked beaches or suburbs in the coming years.
The wait until 2028 is long, and game development can be unpredictable. Schedules can slip, priorities can change, and technology can shift. But compared to the chaotic journey of Dead Island 2, Dead Island 3 appears to be starting from a far more solid foundation. If Dambuster can maintain that momentum, the next visit to the world of Dead Island could be the smoothest yet for PC players.
Original article and image: https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/dead-island-3-is-aiming-for-release-in-2028-which-means-itll-take-7-years-less-to-make-than-dead-island-2/
