It looks like the once dead, er, Dead Island 2 has risen again. After publisher Koch Media ditched the game's previous developer, Yager Productions, the fate of the open world zombie whacker looked shaky. Now a new studio has stepped up and it's [drum roll] Sumo Digital.
Huh.
According to MCV, Koch Media CEO Dr Klemens Kundratitz says, “Sumo showed so much understanding of the brand, had creative ideas and an excellent, vision that was aligned with our own. It just made perfect sense for us to move the project to them." He's promised more details later but is apparently "super excited about the progress that we are making with them.”
It's a bit of an odd one because while Sumo are clearly a talented studio - most famous for working on LBP 2 DLC and all of LBP 3 (as well as Disney Infinity and Forza) it's not got any open world shooter experience. In fact, it's not really got any coherent thread running through its history, with everything from Moshi Monsters 3DS games and Hasbro Family Game Night 3, through to Forza Horizon 2 and Xbox Fitness.
I wouldn't be surprised if there's a little specialist hiring happening there in the next few months to get in some appropriate skills.
Seen something newsworthy? Tell us!
As Remedy nearly breaks even with Alan Wake 2 sales, Sam Lake tells investors "we strive to create commercial hits" but "we must never lose" the studio's special sauce
Sorry We're Closed review: "Resident Evil 4 and Silent Hill can't match this neon-soaked survival horror for its sheer inventiveness"
