- Games
- Dead Island 2
Dead Island 2
A gory first-person zombie RPG where up to three players fight through Los Angeles together online.
Online co-op for up to 3 players. Crossplay only between PlayStation consoles.
- 3 online
Where to buy
About the Apple App Store version
Apple App Store. This Mac-only listing is the full edition with both story expansions. It needs macOS 14 and a Mac with an Apple M1 chip or later. Deep Silver says its co-op only connects to other Mac App Store players.
Playing together
- Online co-op3 players
- Local co-opNoOnline only
- YesOnly between PlayStation consolesFriends on different platforms, such as PC and PlayStation, can play together.
- YesA friend can join or leave while you are already playing, without starting over.
- Not confirmedFriends play free with a Friend's Pass or similar.
- Steam DeckPlayableValve's own rating
About the game
You play one of six Slayers who are immune to the infection in a Los Angeles overrun by zombies. You fight up close with bats, blades and flying kicks, loot shops and mansions, and take side quests between story missions. Zombies lose limbs where you hit them, and the right barrel can set a crowd on fire or shock it. You craft weapon mods at workbenches and pick skill cards for your build.
Online co-op takes up to three players. It unlocks about 20 to 30 minutes into the story, and after that you can play the rest of the campaign together. You cannot join a game that is further ahead in the story than you, but the player who is ahead can come back to help and then return to their own place.
The humor is loud and the story is simple, so there is room to mess around while you fight. It plays fine alone too.
How it feels
Kind of game
You play on the same side through shared levels, matches, missions or jobs. Progress comes from combining your actions toward the same objective.
- At its heart
- Now and then
- Fear
- Calm and coziness
- Working in sync
- Physical comedy
- Exploring
- Building and creating
- Puzzles and figuring out
- Getting better
- Planning ahead
- Sessions
- Campaign to finish
- About
- Zombies
Rated on our own feel scale. 7 sources back these ratings.
Screenshots
From the Steam store page. Open one to see it full size.
If you liked Dead Island 2
You will probably enjoy these too. Each one says why.
Dead Island Definitive Edition
Why it scores 91%
What they share
- Kind of game
- Shared team objectives
- About
- Zombies
- Notable in both
- Story, Time to hang out, Tension and danger, Unlocks and progress
- Core to both
- Fighting
- Sessions
- Campaign to finish
- Co-op
- Online co-op
- 4 online
Both give your team shared objectives to work through together. Both are about zombie outbreaks. Both have a story you follow together.
No big difference from Dead Island 2.
Dying Light: The Beast
Why it scores 87%
What they share
- Kind of game
- Shared team objectives
- About
- Zombies
- Notable in both
- Story, Laughter and chaos, Time to hang out, Tension and danger, Unlocks and progress
- Core to both
- Fighting
- Sessions
- Campaign to finish
- Co-op
- Online co-op
How Dying Light: The Beast differs
- More jumping and climbing than Dead Island 2
- 4 online
Both give your team shared objectives to work through together. Both get loud and silly when plans go wrong. Both are about zombie outbreaks.
But more jumping and climbing than Dead Island 2.
Dying Light 2 Stay Human
Why it scores 86%
What they share
- Kind of game
- Shared team objectives
- About
- Zombies
- Notable in both
- Story, Time to hang out, Tension and danger, Fighting, Unlocks and progress
- Sessions
- Campaign to finish
- Co-op
- Online co-op
How Dying Light 2 Stay Human differs
- More jumping and climbing than Dead Island 2
- 4 online
Both give your team shared objectives to work through together. Both are easy to play while you chat. Both are about zombie outbreaks.
But more jumping and climbing than Dead Island 2.
All co-op facts
Last checked 28 October 2026. The small numbers link to the page that states each fact.
Co-op
- Fewest players online
- Not confirmed
- Most players on one screen
- Does not apply
- Split or shared screen
- Does not apply
- Separate-device co-op
- Not confirmed
- Most players on separate devices
- Not confirmed
- Confirmed free setups
- Does not apply
- Only one of you needs to buy it
- Not confirmed
- Voice chat by distance
- Not confirmed
Platforms
- Single-player editions
- Not confirmed
Sources
15 pages
deepsilver.comOfficial news, read 28 October 2026
Backs Online co-op, Most players online, Crossplay, Crossplay between, Friends can join mid-game, Release date, Working in sync.
- Online co-op: The post says co-op supports up to three players and runs peer to peer, with the first player hosting.
- Most players online: The post says co-op supports up to three players and explains that three keeps combat challenging.
- Crossplay: The post says the game does not support cross-play but does support cross-gen, so PS5 players can join PS4 owners, and Xbox One owners can join Series players. Only this same-family cross-gen play sets crossplay to true. PC, PlayStation and Xbox cannot mix.
- Crossplay between: Lists the PlayStation group. Xbox One and Xbox Series form a second group that cannot join it, and PC sessions are separate from both.
- Friends can join mid-game: The post says you can join other PC co-op sessions, and that you cannot join a friend who is further ahead in the story, which shows that joining a running game is allowed.
- Release date: The post gives April 21st, 2023 as the launch date. Steam shows April 22, 2024, the day the game reached Steam, so the first-platform date is used.
- Working in sync: The post says players do best sticking together and mixing complementary builds. It describes no set roles or required call-outs, so this is rated 1.
deepsilver.comOfficial site, read 28 October 2026
Backs Most players online, Genres, Fighting, Story, Laughter and chaos, Sessions.
- Most players online: The page promises a co-op mode for up to three players.
- Genres: The page calls it a first-person action RPG and pitches horror, dark humor and zombie slaying.
- Fighting: The page calls it a brutal melee sandbox.
- Story: The page promises quests and a cast of crazy characters.
- Laughter and chaos: The page pitches dark humor and an over-the-top tone.
- Sessions: The page offers a story to play through, then New Game+ and a separate co-op horde mode.
deepsilver.comOfficial news, read 28 October 2026
Backs Platforms.
- Platforms: The post says the full edition with both story expansions arrived on Mac and can be bought on Steam, Epic or the Mac App Store. Mac multiplayer only connects players on the same store version.
store.steampowered.comStore page, read 28 October 2026
Backs Online co-op, Kind of game, About, Fear, Building and creating, Fighting, Laughter and chaos.
- Online co-op: Features list Online Co-op. The page also says an Epic Online Services account is required, and linking it to Steam is supported.
- Kind of game: User tags include Co-op, PvE and Character Customization, which fits a group that fights on the same side through a shared story.
- About: User tags include Zombies and Post-apocalyptic.
- Fear: User tags include Horror, Zombies and Gore. Reviews describe gore, jokes and brawling more than fright, so it is rated 1.
- Building and creating: User tags include Crafting. What you craft is weapon mods, so it is rated 1.
- Fighting: User tags include Combat, Hack and Slash and FPS.
- Laughter and chaos: User tags include Dark Humor.
store.steampowered.comStore data, read 28 October 2026
Backs Steam app ID, Local co-op, Platforms, Release status, Free base co-op.
- Local co-op: Categories list Single-player, Co-op and Online Co-op, with no Shared/Split Screen category.
- Platforms: Steam lists Windows and macOS. It does not list Linux.
- Release status: coming_soon is false and the genres do not include Early Access.
- Free base co-op: is_free is false and the list price is $49.99.
store.steampowered.comStore data, read 28 October 2026
Backs Steam Deck.
- Steam Deck: Valve rates the game Playable on Steam Deck.
store.playstation.comStore page, read 28 October 2026
Backs Platforms, Local co-op, Free base co-op, Online co-op, Most players online.
- Platforms: The product covers PS4 and PS5.
- Local co-op: The compatibility notice lists up to 3 online players with PS Plus and one offline player, with no local multiplayer.
- Free base co-op: The page lists a base price of $41.99. A free trial download is shown, which does not make the game free.
- Online co-op: The compatibility notice says the game supports up to 3 online players with PS Plus.
- Most players online: The same notice gives up to 3 online players.
xbox.comStore page, read 28 October 2026
Backs Platforms, Online co-op, Most players online, Local co-op, Free base co-op, Crossplay.
- Platforms: The page lists Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S.
- Online co-op: Capabilities list Online co-op (2-3).
- Most players online: The same capability gives a range of 2 to 3.
- Local co-op: Capabilities list only online co-op and single player.
- Free base co-op: The page says a game purchase is required.
- Crossplay: Capabilities list Xbox Live Cross-Gen Multiplayer, which matches the maker's same-family cross-gen play.
apps.apple.comStore page, read 28 October 2026
Backs Platforms.
- Platforms: This Mac-only listing is the full edition with both story expansions. It needs macOS 14 and a Mac with an Apple M1 chip or later. Deep Silver says its co-op only connects to other Mac App Store players.
wikidata.orgWikidata, read 28 October 2026
Backs Wikidata item, Genres, Release date.
- Genres: P136 lists action role-playing game, survival horror and zombie apocalyptic video game.
- Release date: P577 gives 2023-04-21 for Windows, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series, and 2025-07-24 for macOS. An older 2023-02-03 value is deprecated.
digitaltrends.comPress, read 28 October 2026
Backs Friends can join mid-game.
- Friends can join mid-game: The guide of 2023-04-21 says you can join a session that is in progress from the main menu.
mp1st.comPress, read 28 October 2026
Backs Crossplay, Physical comedy, Tension and danger, Exploring, Puzzles and figuring out, Unlocks and progress, Planning ahead, Story, Building and creating.
- Crossplay: The review says there is no cross-play but there is cross-gen, with PS5 players able to join PS4 owners and the same for Xbox.
- Physical comedy: The review calls zombies with severed limbs often funny and lists frequent glitches such as limbs merging with the ground, so it is rated 1.
- Tension and danger: The review says you may feel overwhelmed at times, but moving keeps you ahead.
- Exploring: The review says early areas are linear and later ones open up, and the small city suits collectors and explorers.
- Puzzles and figuring out: The review calls the valve pressure puzzles in sewers and tunnels unclear and unfun, so puzzles are only a minor part.
- Unlocks and progress: The review describes a skill deck with four categories, weapon mods and perks, and a Fury mode.
- Planning ahead: The review says you can lure zombies into a line and mix mods and perks, which gives only light planning.
- Story: The review calls the storytelling cinematic and credits the six Slayers with strong personalities.
- Building and creating: The review says weapons get mods and perks at a workbench and can be repaired there.
gamingtrend.comPress, read 28 October 2026
Backs Story, Laughter and chaos, Fighting, Unlocks and progress.
- Story: The review says the story is not rich but amuses with goofy moments, and that story and side missions together take 10 to 15 hours.
- Laughter and chaos: The review says the game does not take itself seriously and has goofy moments.
- Fighting: The review describes fighting hordes of many zombie types with a large choice of weapons.
- Unlocks and progress: The review describes a large range of weapon upgrades and six characters with different skills.
gfinityesports.comPress, read 28 October 2026
Backs Tension and danger, Getting better, Exploring, Calm and coziness, Story.
- Tension and danger: The review says the difficulty rose again once the reviewer got the hang of dodging, and the final boss took several attempts.
- Getting better: The review says clearing groups became much easier once the reviewer found how to dodge.
- Exploring: The review says the play space is compact and the story fairly linear, with areas joined by load screens.
- Calm and coziness: The review calls the bright city a welcome break from dodging attacks.
- Story: The review describes a storyline packed with dry humor.
bleacherreport.comPress, read 28 October 2026
Backs Laughter and chaos, Physical comedy, Calm and coziness, Time to hang out, Planning ahead, Unlocks and progress, Fear.
- Laughter and chaos: The review says the chaos even two players can cause is amazing, with traps and physics to mess around with.
- Physical comedy: The review praises the physics, such as an eye popping out after a hit, and the room to play with them.
- Calm and coziness: The review calls the game relaxing despite the subject matter and notes difficulty options for a calmer or harder run.
- Time to hang out: The review calls multiplayer plain fun, with room to mess around with physics and traps.
- Planning ahead: The review calls the skill card system refreshingly basic.
- Unlocks and progress: The review describes skill cards, Fury abilities and weapon customization at workbenches.
- Fear: The review describes a grisly but optimistic tone and a goofy-but-serious feel, not a scary one.