Dambuster Studios has heavily hinted that Dead Island 3 is forthcoming in a recent Steam announcement. The earlier release, Dead Island 2, launched in early 2023 and impressed fans and critics alike with its captivating gore, vibrant scenery, and quirky atmosphere, amassing over 20 million players. Following two downloadable story expansions, Haus and SoLA, demand for a continuation seems strong.

While lauded for its final form, Dead Island 2 faced a turbulent development history, originally announced in 2014 with hopes for a 2015 launch, before switching focus to the successful Dying Light series. The project changed hands between developers before settling with Dambuster Studios, who released it two years ago.

Dambuster Studios Teases Dead Island 3

In a Steam post celebrating the franchise’s 14th anniversary and the achievement of 20 million players, hints at a third installment were prominently featured. The image shared in the announcement depicts the cover character Jacob, abandoning LA with a suitcase and the tagline “When there’s no more room in Hell-A…” This suggests a new setting for the next chapter of zombie-slaying fun. The post explicitly states, “Dambuster Studios are already carving out what comes next. For now, the details stay under wraps, the outbreak is far from over…” This, coupled with the phrase “the next outbreak is already brewing,” strongly implies that development is underway.

As more than two years have elapsed since the release of Dead Island 2, it is reasonable to presume that progress on this anticipated third installment is well underway. A reveal trailer might debut late this year at The Game Awards, with an official announcement possibly set for 2026.