Dead Island is getting a new co-op horde mode: 'It's pure survival, and it's not for the faint of heart' (2025)

Alongside the Dead Island 2 Ultimate Edition announced a couple of days ago, which comes with both story expansions and some new stuff, Dambuster Studios has announced that a "massive, beastly" free patch will also introduce a new horde mode for everybody.

"You'll get Neighborhood Watch, a brutal new horde mode where you'll fight to defend your frat house in the Venice canals," Dambuster Studios says in a blog post. "Solo (if you're feeling extra savage) or co-op, it's pure survival—and it's not for the faint of heart."

I didn't really enjoy Dead Island 2 when I played it back in 2023. I found that some of the boss fights were poorly scaled, most of the fights were repetitive, and the gore system wasn't anything outstanding for a zombie game, but I'd never say no to a horde mode. These kinds of modes are the kind of chaos that I like to see in zombie games, whether that be running through hordes of zombies in Left 4 Dead 2 or facing them head-on in World War Z.

But this isn't the only thing that'll be introduced in patch 6. New Game Plus is finally here and will include more zombie breeds, a boosted level cap, and extra skill slots. "It's gonna be tougher, meaner, and a straight-up massacre," the blog post says.

The Ultimate Edition is also bringing loads of new stuff to Dead Island 2, although this won't be free unless you're already a Gold Edition owner, as then you'll get the bundle auto-upgraded at no extra cost.

"The Ultimate Edition is your all-access pass to the Zompocalypse," the blog post says. "We've crammed it with everything you need—two story-driven DLCs—Haus and SoLA, plus a full arsenal of weapon packs and skins to help you tear through the undead with style." Alongside the base game, the Ultimate Edition will provide six character packs, two story expansions, five weapon packs, and two new modes.

One of the story expansions, named Haus, lasts around three hours and drops your character right in the middle of a cult compound in Malibu full of rich elites and very fashionable zombies. Then there's SoLA Festival, which introduced a new type of zombie called the whipper and is set at a music festival where all 30,000 attendees became infected without anyone getting bitten. Both expansions are just a bit of extra fun, but if you enjoyed Dead Island 2's base game and are looking for more gory humour, then this is a good place to start.

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