Dead Island 2 News

[h3]When the team at Dambuster Studio started work on Dead Island 2’s New Game Plus, they knew they didn’t want to make it just the same campaign with a higher level cap. ‘We want players to have a reason to replay the game with the characters they love’ says Tim Donks, Senior Designer. [/h3]


In fact, Patch 6’s New Game Plus mode gives fans a whole bunch of reasons to head back onto the gore-soaked streets of Hell-A. As with most NG+ modes, you can start the game again with your favourite slayer, equipped with all the skills, abilities and weapons you built up during your first run. But New Game Plus isn’t taking any prisoners. It’s ready to mix up enemy encounters and make damn sure that even skilled DI2 vets face a serious challenge.

Once players arrive in Bel Air – New Game Plus skips the campaign’s prologue – they’re going to find the action very different. They’ll encounter familiar zombies in new locations, and some tougher zombies where they wouldn’t previously expect them. Even the basic walkers have had their health upgraded along with their damage, while Apex Zombie variants aren’t going to wait for their turn in the spotlight. ‘Before you had to wait until the end of the game to start seeing mutators or anything like that’ says Associate Lead Level Designer, James Gamlin. ‘In New Game Plus, they’ll be appearing very early on.’


And then there are the new Revenants. These killer new takes on your favourite Apex Zombies don’t just have a dark new look, but new behaviours and tweaked capabilities that make them deliberately hard to slay. ‘This combined with the changes from New Game Plus are going to push the challenge all the way up to 11’ says Donks. You don’t need to kill them all, adds Gamlin, though you’ll miss out on some great rewards. ‘We don’t want them to be roadblocks and we didn’t want to add huge difficulty spikes. But if players want that challenge, thay’ll find it.’

Don’t even think about power-levelling and cheesing through the action, either. New Game Plus is designed to more closely scale the zombie threat against your slayer’s current level, and every big boss zombie is guaranteed to be a higher level.

Luckily, players come in with a few advantages. Not only can they bring in their existing skill cards and capabilities, but they’ll have more slots to fill in every category. This allows for builds players couldn’t create before, where they can explore new tactics and killer skill and weapon combos. Meanwhile, every weapon that drops in New Game Plus will be more powerful than those in the main game, with more fixed-rarity weapons to collect and wield. The team hopes this will encourage players to make the most of weapons that they might previously have left behind.


New Game Plus is going to be a test of guts and skill, but that’s just going to inspire Dead Island 2 fans to think up with new slayer builds and strategies. And if it’s not tough enough, players can fill one of their additional skills with the Masochist card Dead Island 2 introduced earlier this year, making the walking dead even tougher to put down. As Donks puts it, ‘New Game Plus with Masochist is the ultimate Dead Island 2 challenge.’

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[h3]Stay Tuned and See You In HELL-A[/h3]

We know some of you sharp-eyed survivors have spotted something extra fierce in the Dead Island 2 Ultimate Edition: the Kingdom Come: Deliverance II Pack. If you’ve been wondering what kind of destruction it brings, it’s time to spill some guts—zombie guts, that is.

[h5]These aren’t just some old-school relics; they’re full-blown zombie wrecking machines, ready to unleash hell in HELL-A. Trust us, it’s about to get real messy.[/h5]

[h3]Sir Radzig's Sword[/h3]

Grab Sir Radzig’s Sword, and you’re not just holding some rusty medieval blade—you’re wielding a freakin’ legend. This thing’s seen wars, betrayal, and more blood than you can imagine. Now it's your turn to bring that same fire to HELL-A. This beast slices through shamblers like they’re made of wet paper. One swing, and you'll be standing over a heap of rotting limbs. Get ready to send the undead back to the dirt where they belong, ‘cause with this thing in hand, you’re straight-up untouchable.



[h3]Zizka's Mace[/h3]

Need something that hits like a tank? Zizka’s Mace is here to make zombie heads pop like watermelons and to break faces—literally. Forget about finesse; this bad boy is pure smash and bash. A skull-crushing tool of brutes, hammering the dead with raging force. A weapon of choice of the famous Czech warrior Jan Zizka, whose one-eyed face and war reputation made him a living symbol of this powerful weapon. This thing’s designed to turn zombie heads into soup. You wanna make the undead regret crawling out of their graves? One swing of this heavy hitter, and you’ll be painting the streets red with zombie bits.



These weapons ain't just legends in Bohemia—they’re about to be every Slayer’s best friend in Hell-A. Trust us, the zombies won’t know what hit ‘em. You’re not just bringing the pain, you’re bringing medieval chaos. With Sir Radzig’s Sword and Zizka’s Mace in hand, you’ll leave nothing but a trail of limbs and shattered skulls behind. Time to show these undead nightmares what going full medieval really means

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[h3]Stay Tuned and See You In HELL-A[/h3]

The VCLA Bobcat heroes of Dead Island 2’s new Neighborhood Watch mode face a fierce fight for survival. Luckily, they don’t just have their guns and crazy, supped up melee weapons to rely on, but also their own awesome Talents

These don’t work quite like the skills in the main campaign. Your Bobcats are just regular survivors, while Neighborhood Watch works at a different kind of pace. “We wanted people to be able to jump into the game really quickly, and not spend a bunch of time reading text and trying to finalise their loadouts” says Fishlabs’ Design Director, PChan.



Each Bobcat starts with a set of Ability Talents, Utility Talents and Signature Attacks, and each type has its own Talent sets players can progress through as they battle through each week.

The Ability Talents work like the curveballs in the main game, giving you a grenade-like attack you can hurl into a mob of zombies, or a buff you can lob to help teammates in a jam. They’re also specific to each class, giving Dez the chemist explosive chemical weapons, or Rav the pre-med student medkits. Ability Talents run on a cooldown timer; you can’t spam them endlessly, but they won’t run out.

Each class also has passive Utility Talents, giving you perks and bonuses that stay active through the session. For instance, Rav has a passive that increases shove velocity and damage, giving him more power to push zombies back or bowl them over. Other passives reduce your cooldowns or accelerate how quickly you can generate ‘Bond ’: the new power meter the Bobcats charge by working and fighting as a team.



You’ll want all the bond you can get, because it powers your Signature Attacks . As PChan tells it, “there are five or six signature attacks per class. They’re activated by Bond and they always do something spectacular.”

For example, Bozzy, the hunter class, has a Mantis crossbow signature weapon that’s a machine for one-shot kills. Trigger his signature attack and you’ll have a five-second window to shoot as many bolts as you can, with each kill adding another half a second of slaying time. Keep ranking up, and Bozzy also gets a spread-shot, firing off five bolts at once.

There are similar upgrades in store for Dez’s Zombie-freezing grenades . Rank up to unlock Signature Attacks , and you’ll be able to lob several of these babies simultaneously – enough to stop a mob of mindless flesh-munchers in their tracks. Rav, meanwhile, gets a brutal charge attack, perfect for knocking Shamblers off their feet or smashing through the horde . Rank up , and you’ve got yourself a juggernaut.

Plays can progress through the three Talent sets by completing their daily missions, and when you finish each five-day session, any XP you’ve accrued feeds into a class-specific Rank meter , unlocking further Talents or cool Session Modifiers you can apply to future sessions.

If you want to battle zombies in Hollywood-style suits or zombie firemen or cops, the choice will be yours. Some modifiers will make the session even more challenging for the Bobcats, but don’t worry: you’ll get an XP boost to make it worth your while!

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[h3]Stay Tuned and See You In HELL-A[/h3]

Dead Island 2’s Neighborhood Watch shifts the focus from Hell-A’s mighty slayers to a group of college students from VCLA (a fictional blend of UCLA and USC) scrapping to survive. Unlike the superhuman Slayers from the main game, these young heroes rely on each other to survive in a world overrun by the undead.

[h2]Who Are the Bobcats?[/h2]

You’ll play as Rav, Dez and Bozzy of the VCLA squad, fighting to hold down their frat-house fortress against the ever-hungry undead. You might remember them from some of Dead Island 2’s most compelling side quests, as you helped Rav out with his Caustic-X-periments or tracked down Bozzy in Monarch Studios. However, the Bobcats were originally created specifically for Neighborhood Watch.



Fishlabs and Dambuster Studios, collaborating on Neighborhood Watch, initially struggled to agree on a Horde mode concept. That’s when a furious brainstorming session between designer PChan and the then art lead, Mickael Balloul, spawned a fusion of LA’s vibrant college sports scene and the classic apocalypse, where you and your crew are scavenging for food and guns, then hunkering down to survive.

“We had this very strong visual and gameplay narrative”’ says PChan, “where you have these college students, stuck in this shitty situation. They’ve survived, but what do they do now? These characters are younger than the slayers. They’re not immune and they’re not superhuman. They have to depend on each other.”

[h3]Brains vs. Brawn[/h3]

Each Bobcat brings unique skills to the table. Dez, a chemistry major, creates bombs and acid sprays; Bozzy, a mechanical engineering student, excels at setting traps; Rav, a medical student, provides healing and sets up medical stations. These characters are led by Hana, their NPC leader, as they navigate the streets of Hell-A.



Beyond their in-game roles, these characters were thoughtfully crafted to reflect the diversity of Los Angeles. Dez - inspired by the real-life friend of designer PChan - natural hair and pride in her heritage, were important aspects of her character. Dez is a top student, athlete and the group’s moral compass, wearing chemical protection gear in homage to Breaking Bad's Walter White.

Bozzy represents the survivalist archetype. A mechanical engineering student, he has always been a bit of a doomsday prepper, relishing the opportunity to live out his zombie hunter fantasies. His look—complete with a mask reminiscent of The Purge and a crossbow similar to The Walking Dead's Darryl Dixon— reflects his love for horror films. Though not a stellar student, his trap-making expertise is crucial for the team's success.

Rav, representing California’s South Asian subculture, is a medical student, balancing societal expectations with rebellion. His expensive gear contrasts with his love for street rebellion and hockey. His peaceful nature complements Bozzy's rough demeanor and their friendship strengthens the group.

Their leader, Hana Suzuki – a wheelchair user - offers the Bobcats critical guidance. Hana is the tactical genius behind the Bobcats’ survival, organizing their survival from the Venice Canals and contributing to the neighborhood's defense.

The Bobcats add a unique touch to Dead Island 2. While they might not have the epic storylines of the main slayers, they still have intriguing tales.

PChan suggests, "If players enjoy the Bobcats, there’s plenty of hidden lore. I encourage them to explore the menus and tutorial pages for more information."

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[h3]Stay Tuned and See You In HELL-A[/h3]

Dead Island 2’s new Neighborhood Watch mode spawned from one simple concept. ‘”We just thought... what would it be like to be stuck in this, just you and one or two of your best buddies. What the hell are you going to do?” says Fishlabs Design Director, PChan.

“You’re not going to go galivanting off on some Camelot quest to find out how the army is involved. What you care about is, how am I going to keep my house from getting overrun? Where am I going to get my guns, or my medical supplies and food”, he added.

This daily battle for survival lies at the heart of Neighborhood Watch. Across the first four days, your Bobcats heads out on missions selected from a semi-random list, dished out by the Bobcat’s leader Hana, or by your NPC neighbours, Sarah and Silent Nick.

In some missions, you’re charged with picking up vital supplies, medicine, or sent to slay a dangerous zombie. In others you’ll help Nick with anti-zombie prepping, or aiding Sarah’s sick child as they get ready to leave Hell-A. Each day you’ll have a mission out of three or four to choose fromthree, each with their own rewards in terms of weapons and XP.

[h2]The opposition[/h2]

Neighborhood Watch uses the main game’s dynamic zombie spawning systems to churn out ever-changing mobs of flesh-eating creatures, and they’ll keep coming until you’re back in Bobcats HQ.
These include some brand-new zombie variants, including the Storm Belcher, an electrified slobber puking shocking bursts of electrified bile and the Pyrocaustic Burster, prone to blowing up in a ball of fire.



“They’re very explosive and dangerous in packs” says PChan, “but also a lot of fun to kill, because when they explode they can cause a chain reaction.”

You’re going to need some mighty weapons, and you’ll find these spawning in crates at specific map points. What’s more, a bunch of mods unlocks at the start of every session, giving options to maximise the damage, which you can use at the end of each day. You’ll also unlock the mode’s new traps, which harness Dead Island 2’s environmental damage to keep the rotting hordes under control.

Things won’t always go your way, and while you can call on your Bobcat buddies for a quick revive, there’s always a chance that Team-Z will overwhelm you. Don’t worry. If Silent Nick doesn’t come and drag you to safety, some other survivor will. Even a total team wipe won’t end the session. All you’ll lose is your day’s rewards.

[h2]Defend the Shelter[/h2]

Pick missions carefully. Each day you’ll face waves of zombies, each day tougher than the one before. Finally, on day 5, you’ll face the biggest battle yet, as the Bobcats defend the HQ against five waves of zombies. Each comes down a series of lanes, enabling you to slow them with traps, or just blast into oblivion, before you get up close and personal.



“You’ll face a different pool of zombies every time, and they won’t all be your standard shamblers. ‘There are going to be elite zombies that spawn during each wave” warns PChan, “so it’s not just regular fodder that you can take down with a one-shot kill.”

If the zombies break down the door and get inside, the gig is up; but hold them at bay and you’ll end up with fresh rewards.

[h5]We’ll be back to cover how progression, skills and abilities work in our next Neighborhood Watch blog. [/h5]

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[h3]Stay Tuned and See You In HELL-A[/h3]