Calling all zombie slayers and apocalypse enthusiasts! The cat's out of the bag, and it's not just the undead we're talking about. Dead Island 3 is officially in the development pipeline, and the clock is ticking down to an electrifying release window in early to mid-2028! Buckle up, because this blood-soaked ride is gaining serious momentum.
In an explosive revelation found through a financial report by keen-eyed Twitter user @bogorad222, Dambuster Studios, under the banner of Plaion, has finally screamed it from the rooftops: Dead Island 3 is their primary focus, and every one of their 194 talented team members is on board the undead express.
Dambuster Studios' financial statements are out (as of March 2025)
pic.twitter.com/FOHOitH3nD— Timur222 (@bogorad222) December 16, 2025
- The company employed 194 employees
- Dead Island 3 is in development
- The current predicted release window for the project is Q1/2 2028
Parts of the game are shifting from concept to early production, with features, characters, environments, and stories racing ahead at breakneck speed. The release window? Q1/2 2028. That's right, by the summer of 2028, we could all be bashing in heads and surviving the next big zombie outbreak.
And here's where the thrill ride truly goes off the rails: back in September, Dambuster teased fans with an enticing image, hinting, “and the next outbreak is already brewing.” So just where will this next chapter unfold? With a mysterious hitchhiker thumbing for a ride, could Las Vegas be the next pitstop in this undead extravaganza? Wherever it lands, it's certain to be a devastatingly exciting sandbox for Slayer pros!
Reflecting on their legacy, the message took us down memory lane: “It's been 14 years since Dead Island splattered onto the scene, leaving players to wade through the blood-soaked paradise of Banoi. Since then, we've dragged the zompocalypse onto the chaotic shores of HELL-A in Dead Island 2, with over 20 million Slayers embracing the carnage. But this, dear gamers, is only the beginning!”
Though fans have faced grueling waits in the past—remember the shuffle from Yager to Sumo Digital and finally to Dambuster Studios?—there's no denying the satisfying success Dead Island 2 eventually carved out. This next installment promises to raise the stakes even higher.
Will 2026 deliver us a teaser trailer to start this pulse-racing journey? Stay locked in for more updates, Slayers—it’s going to be a wild ride!
Follow Wesley, Director of News at IGN, for the latest inside scoops and more on Twitter @wyp100. For confidential tips, reach him at wyp100@proton.me.