Highlights

  • Dead Island 2 continues to make waves with a major expansion on the horizon, challenging Dying Light 2 in the post-apocalyptic gaming realm.
  • The rivalry between Dead Island and Dying Light runs deep, but with Dead Island 2 now available on Xbox Game Pass, its reach and appeal has increased.
  • Dead Island 2 gaining an edge raises the bar for Dying Light 2 if it wants to keep up and take the crown of best Zombie game, and it will be interesting to see what's next for both properties.

News around Dead Island 2 is still pouring in despite the game launching almost a year ago, with the release's second major expansion being expected to drop in the coming months. The title has had to compete with 2022's Dying Light 2 ever since it launched, speaking to a wider rivalry that the two franchises have shared for over a decade.

With both IPs having such clear similarities, it is clear that Dead Island 2 and Dying Light 2 have each needed to make a lot of ambitious moves to establish distinct identities, and Dead Island 2 has just announced a very surprising deal to set itself apart. To the shock of many fans, Dead Island 2 recently released on the Xbox Game Pass service, giving it a level of availability that has increased interest - interest that Dying Light 2 will need to do a lot to keep up with.

Dead Island 2 zombie with Haus DLC and SOLA DLC in glasses
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Dead Island 2 Would Be Leaving Money on the Table Without a Second Expansion Pass

Dead Island 2 has already gotten extensive DLC attention from Dambuster Studios, but a second expansion pass might be in order.

Dead Island 2's Game Pass Presence Has Tipped the Scales in its Favor

dead island 2 zombie on beach

The rivalry between the Dead Island and Dying Light franchises goes much deeper than the zombie apocalypse premise and survival gameplay that they share. 2011's Dead Island was developed by Techland, who would go on to create the first Dying Light title in 2013. This came after a split between Techland and the original Dead Island publisher, Deep Silver, with the creative differences between both companies manifesting in the launch of the Dying Light IP.

This inevitably led to a lot of comparisons between both franchises, but this quickly died down after the long gap in releases that both properties faced following their first entries. Of course, this friendly feud was reignited with the more recent launches of Dead Island 2 and Dying Light 2, with both titles releasing within a year of each other after a long period of quiet.

Dead Island

Dying Light

Dying Light 2

Dead Island 2

Release Date

September 6, 2011

January 26, 2015

February 4, 2022

April 21, 2023

Both games are still in the midst of their post-launch content plans, with Dying Light 2 recently bringing firearms to the title and Dead Island 2's SOLA Festival DLC creating a lot of anticipation in its own community. Every new addition to either game is another step in a long battle for supremacy, and the recent announcement that Dead Island 2 is available through the Xbox Game Pass service is a difficult one for Dying Light 2 to answer.

Dead Island 2's New Availability Leaves Dying Light 2 in a Tough Spot

Dead Island 2 officially came to Game Pass on February 22, despite being absent from any statements about new offerings for the service earlier in the month. It may seem odd that Microsoft chose to surprise fans with a recently released AAA title coming to Game Pass, but these shock additions to the service often garner more attention than clearly telegraphed ones.

There are currently no plans for Dying Light 2 to come to Game Pass, and it is unlikely that Xbox will add another zombie-centric survival game to the service any time soon. With both titles being at such important periods in their post-launch states, the opening-up of Dead Island 2 to approximately 34 million Game Pass subscribers might have given it an edge in the rivalry that Dying Light 2 cannot overcome.