Dead Island 2 has been a long time coming, but it looks like the PC version will be on Steam at launch.

Dead Island 2 has reappeared on the Gamescom Opening Night Live stage with a new trailer and a February 2023 release date, and PC gamers should keep an eye out for one more detail: it looks like this game will be an Epic Games Store exclusive.

The press release confirms that Dead Island 2 will be released “for PC via the Epic Games Store” on February 3, 2023.

It will also, of course, be coming to PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X and S, Xbox One, and Google Stadia. Pre-orders are already live on the Epic Games Store, but there’s no store page for the game on Steam yet. If you insist on getting your digital PC games from Valve’s store, take this as a warning.

Epic exclusivity usually lasts for six or 12 months, so if you’re waiting for a Steam release, you’ll probably have to wait until August 2023 or February 2024. If you’ve been waiting for Dead Island 2 since its initial unveiling in 2014, you’ve probably built up more than enough patience by now to last another year, right?

Before the gameplay reveal, a few lucky journalists were able to try Dead Island 2 for themselves, and everyone seems to have been impressed by the game’s gorgeously gory melee combat and stunning visuals.

Part of what allowed the creators to make the game so spectacular was that it doesn’t have a fully open world, although it offers plenty of opportunities for exploration and side missions.

Source: Epic Games Store