Earlier this week, Deep Silver found another developer to be unworthy of the honor of making Dead Island 2 when Yager joined series creator Techland in a growing list of studios the publisher doesn’t consider capable of delivering a sequel that lives up to a classic like Escape Dead Island. That was a garbage video game and I’m still angry I had to review it, but at least it was generous enough to warn fans to stay away from it.

At this point, escaping Dead Island sounds more appealing to me than sticking around.

That might sound harsh, and maybe it is. Dead Island 2 could be great, assuming we ever see it, but I fear my anticipation to see this series achieve even a modicum of greatness has been entirely based on the respect I have for Deep Silver.

As much as I love them for saving Saints Row developer Volition and the Metro franchise from the rubble of THQ, Dead Island has had four chances to give us a reason to care about these games and they’ve missed every time.

I even enjoyed the original game despite its numerous technical flaws. Look at it hard enough and potential can be found hiding underneath layers of clumsily executed mechanics, sloppy writing, dead-eyed NPCs and high expectations caused by an objectively depressing trailer. To this day, that promise has gone unfulfilled. Riptide felt like a hastily assembled standalone expansion, Epidemic wouldn’t stop referring to itself as a “ZOMBA”, and another that isn’t worth mentioning twice.

That trailer made grown men want to curl up in a tub filled with their own salty tears, and it only accomplished that by not being anything like the game it was so frighteningly effective in marketing to us. It’s strange to think a trailer might become the only legacy this series leaves — you know, other than being the reason we got Dying Light.

I’m not bringing this up so I can poop on Dead Island, which may very well have a bright future ahead of it, even if I’m having trouble seeing it right now. I’m more interested in hearing what you think of this game of Musical Chairs that Deep Silver is playing with the developers of Dead Island 2. Give me a reason to keep believing in this franchise. Please.