På Twitter skriver udvikleren dette:
We have always set ourselves a big goal for Dead Island 2: To create the sequel that takes Dead Island to the next level. A game that takes what our fans tell us they love about Dead Island – multiple different characters to play with, co-op, and turning a paradise setting into a zombie slaughter melee – and a game that adds a ton more content and combat options on top of that. We have been looking at the game long and hard, and we have decided we didn’t reach that goal we set out to achieve quite yet. This is why we have decided to delay Dead Island 2 to 2016.
Dead Island 2 skulle oprindeligt have været udviklet af polske Techland, men de kastede sig i stedet over Dying Light, så udviklingen ligger nu hos tyske Yager.