Former Deep Silver executive Martin Wein recently discussed the development hurdles encountered with Dead Island 2. He remarked that early versions of the game were so poorly constructed that they could have jeopardized the franchise’s future.

Wein stated, “It might have made some money, but it would have killed the franchise.” This insight was shared at a panel during Develop: Brighton. The team behind the project faced significant challenges after its E3 reveal, receiving dismal feedback from playtesting which led to substantial delays. Eventually, responsibility for the title was transferred through several developers, culminating in improved iterations before the game’s eventual release.

Despite its rocky journey, Dead Island 2, released in 2023, garnered relatively favorable reviews, achieving an average score of 75 on OpenCritic and selling over 4 million units by February 2025.