Dead Island: Epidemic is the next game in the open-world zombie series, and it's a multiplayer online battle arena title that will be free-to-play on Windows PC, publisher Deep Silver announced today.

In Epidemic, three teams of players will compete to survive against the zombie onslaught. According to Deep Silver, the game will "feature all the trademark elements that are part of a Dead Island experience." Deep Silver refers to it as a ZOMBA, a "zombie online multiplayer battle arena" game.

The company will provide additional details at Gamescom later this month about Epidemic, which will be the third game in the series after the 2011 original, Dead Island, and its 2013 follow-up, Dead Island: Riptide. Deep Silver did not announce a release window for Epidemic today or its developer; Techland made both of the previous two games.

Polygon will be in attendance at Gamescom to bring you hands-on coverage of Dead Island: Epidemic.