Video Games
Dambuster Studios Is Reportedly Working on ‘Dead Island 3’ for a 2028 Release
After the roller coaster ride that was the development of Dead Island 2 (which turned out pretty well), Dambuster Studios is setting their sights on the third entry in the game. According to the developer’s financial statements, the game is the “primary focus” of the team, and with a targeted 2028 release date.
The news comes from X user @bogorad222, who snagged the info from Dambuster’s annual report for the year ending March 31, 2025. The report, dated November 25, states that the developer’s focus would shift to Dead Island 3 once versions of Dead Island 2 for Amazon’s Luna gaming service and Mac are completed, which has already happened. Parts of the game are already in early production, with feature, character, world and story design “moving at pace” for a projected release of Q1/2 2028.
Dambuster themselves had in fact dropped hints of the sequel back in September after announcing that Dead Island 2 reached 20 million players across PC and console. “The next outbreak? Dambuster is already drenched in the work. The journey is far from over…”
Just in case you missed it the first time around, Dead Island 2 centres around a deadly virus that’s spreading across Los Angeles, turning its inhabitants into ravenous zombies. The city is in quarantine and the military have retreated. Bitten, infected, but more than just immune, you learn to harness the zombie inside of you.
You can grab Dead Island 2 on PC via the Epic Games Store and Steam, Xbox One, Xbox Series, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.
When Season 7 “Project Boneyard” arrives for The Outlast Trials on July 14, players will be greeted with the return of Prime Asset Sergeant Leland Coyle. And he’s not alone. Launching for PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store, PlayStation, and Xbox, Project Boneyard will include a new Trial, two fresh MK-Challenges, major updates to Escalation and Invasion, new customization features, and a new Ex-Pop enemy stalking the Prison Farm known as The Biter.
Season 7 will see Reagents sent into Murkoff’s latest correctional nightmare in the Prison Farm. At the center of it all is Sergeant Coyle, returning in a prominent new role for the season’s new Trial, Locksock the Warden.
The American prison is a meat grinder, taking in sociopaths and criminals and extruding functioning members of society. But strict routine, severe conditioning, and close quarters create a crucible for power dynamics built on violence, contraband, and flesh.
With the new Trial, you are freedom. The indefinable promise that keeps prisoners at the grindstone that turns authority to profit and back again. Don’t let false authority stand in the way of real capital. Kill the Warden, and set yourself free.
Season 7 also brings with it two new MK-Challenges. In “Bribe the Judges”, you are the master, whose property is the purpose of the law. Salary reminds enforcement that their monopoly of violence only exists for your monopoly of capital. Collect the bribes in order to pay the judges. Meanwhile, “Cancel the Broadcast” has you sabotaging the broadcast and defiling the faithful with blood in order to be let out.
Then there’s the new Ex-Pop stalking the Prison Farm in The Biter. Having had its arms removed to prevent further self-harm, Biters are universal sadists, still capable of grievous harm with their mechanically enforced jaws. Though Biters are kept chained by the neck for safety, you should approach them with caution, as their augmented legs grant them unexpected velocity.
If that’s not enough content for you, from July 14 to August 11, Twitch users who tune in to participating The Outlast Trials Twitch streams can earn rewards through the latest Twitch Drops campaign. You can read up on the full details from the FAQ on developer The Red Barrels’ website.
Lastly, Project Boneyard also introduces a range of new features and improvements for The Outlast Trials, designed to “expand player expression, streamline preparation, and improve the overall experience” across key modes. That includes the introduction of Rig Customization, Knife Customization, Loadout Presets, and Mastery Tasks, giving players new ways to “prepare for therapy” and personalize their approach before entering the Trials. The update will also bring major reworks to both Escalation and Invasion, with significant changes designed to improve the flow, structure, and overall player experience of both modes.
More details on these features, and the full contents of Project Boneyard, will be revealed closer to launch.