The story behind Dead Island 2 has certainly been an interesting one. Development has seemingly been a long and troubling experience for those involved, especially after the game changed hands. It's been hidden in the shadows for a few years at this point, but it was recently noted by THQ Nordic that the game is very much still being worked on and that fans can expect to hear more soon. That said, it appears that "soon" has arrived as a listing for pre-orders has gone live on the Microsoft Store out of nowhere.

Seeing as nothing has been announced by the developers or publisher, it is definitely interesting that pre-orders would go live without any sort of official word. There is a placeholder release date of December 31st, which will likely change once an announcement is made. Luckily, E3 2019 is just around the corner, which means there is a good chance we'll be seeing Dead Island 2 at the event once more.

(Photo: Microsoft Store)

Of course, this wouldn't be the first time that we've seen the long-awaited game at the Electronic Entertainment Expo. It first popped up in 2014, with an expected release of 2015. Gameplay footage even appeared, but the title has yet to be released. Luckily, we do know that it is coming PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, and with the next generation of consoles on the horizon, that game is looking a bit closer than previously thought. That is certainly true with pre-orders going live, which are still live at the time of writing, so it doesn't appear to be a mistake.

Whatever the case may be, an announcement of Dead Island 2's arrival seems to be imminent. Here's to hoping we actually learn more at this year's E3, which is only a week away. Either way, interesting times are ahead.

What do you think about all of this? Are you surprised to see pre-orders go live for Dead Island 2 without warning? When do you think we will be learning more about the upcoming game? Sound off in the comment section below, or feel free to hit me up over on Twitter @anarkE7!

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Thanks, Gaming Bolt.