Key Highlights:
- PopCap originally announced a July 18, 2013 release date for Plants vs. Zombies 2 on mobile devices.
- The free-to-play sequel was delayed before receiving a limited soft launch and a later worldwide release.
- Plants vs. Zombies 2 eventually launched worldwide on iOS on August 15, 2013 and remains available today.
A July 18 release date for Plants vs. Zombies 2 was originally announced by PopCap Games as the studio prepared to bring its tower-defence sequel to mobile devices in 2013.
PopCap had revealed Plants vs. Zombies 2: It’s About Time the previous month, confirming the return of the series with new plants, zombies, locations and gameplay systems.
The sequel retained the lane-based strategy of the original while sending players through different periods of history alongside Crazy Dave and his time-travelling vehicle, Penny.
Early worlds included Ancient Egypt, Pirate Seas and the Wild West, each introducing different environmental challenges and enemy types. Plant Food was another major addition, temporarily giving individual plants more powerful abilities during battles.
Unlike the original game’s traditional premium release, Plants vs. Zombies 2 adopted a free-to-play model supported by optional in-app purchases.
The July 18 launch did not go ahead as planned. Later that month, Plants vs. Zombies 2 was subsequently delayed while PopCap continued preparing the game for a later summer release.
A limited iOS soft launch had already begun in Australia and New Zealand on July 9, allowing PopCap to test elements including server stability and the game’s free-to-play systems before releasing it more widely.
After the delay, Plants vs. Zombies 2 eventually arrived on iOS worldwide on August 15, 2013. An Android release followed later that year.
Unlike many mobile games released during the same period, Plants vs. Zombies 2 remains available today as a free-to-play game and continues to receive new content and updates.
