In theory that brings a new dynamic by emphasising the biding of time, or even full-blown evasion, in letting the opposition focus their attentions on each other rather than you. DIE (coincidental acronym?) differs from genre heavyweights DOTA2 and League of Legends by pitting three teams against each other as standard, rather than the usual two. The game's main concession to innovation comes in its PvPvPvE approach to the model. Opposing teams of four start out in bases on opposite sides of the map and venture across it in unison, using their combined classes' asymmetrical skills to combat their rivals and AI-controlled variants of the main Dead Island series' zombies and special Infected. The set-up is pretty standard for the genre. But whatever a game's background, there's no reason it should affect the quality of the game itself, and we're pleased to say that after a full-scale, 12-player tussle on the hallowed killing fields of Capture the Flag, we found Dead Island: Epidemic to be rather fun indeed. And its unexpected branching into the currently-hot MOBA genre came with a slight whiff of cynical franchise growth to some. Despite selling well enough to quickly expand into one of gaming's most inexplicable recent franchises, Dead Island has often struggled to escape the mires of the average. It's fair to say that the initial reaction to the idea of a Dead Island-themed MOBA ranged largely between 'Huh?', 'Why?' and 'What?'.

The Dead Island series is very much alive.

Dead island epidemic