You’re wandering through the sun-drenched, blood-soaked streets of Hell-A, right? You've finally gotten a handle on the combat. You're decapitating zombies like a pro. Then you stumble into the Serling Hotel in the Ocean Avenue district and meet Esperanza. She’s stressed. She’s got a job for you. Suddenly, you’re stuck looking for Dead Island 2 Scooped, a side quest that sounds simple on paper but ends up being one of the most frustrating scavenger hunts in the entire game if you don't know exactly where the developers hid the clues.
It's annoying. Truly.
Most players expect quest markers to just lead them to the finish line. Dambuster Studios didn't play it that way here. They wanted you to actually investigate. They wanted you to feel like a survivor looking for a missing person, but honestly, most of us just want that sweet, sweet XP and the weapon reward. If you're currently staring at your map wondering where the hell the "LA 24 News" team went, don't worry. You aren't bad at the game; the game is just being a bit of a jerk with its navigation.
What is Dead Island 2 Scooped actually about?
The quest starts at the Serling Hotel. You'll find it on the quest board or by talking to the NPCs there after you've progressed a decent way into the main story. Basically, a news crew went missing. Not just any crew—the team from LA 24 News. They were chasing a story, because of course they were, even while the world was ending. Your job is to track them down, starting at their offices in Ocean Avenue.
This isn't just a "go here, kill that" mission. It’s a multi-stage investigation. You have to find three distinct pieces of evidence before you even get to the "action" part of the quest.
The First Hurdle: Finding the LA 24 News Office
Ocean Avenue is a mess. It's a vertical labyrinth of storefronts and narrow alleys. To kick off Dead Island 2 Scooped, you need to find the actual news office. It’s located on the ground floor of a building tucked away near the central plaza area.
When you get inside, it’s quiet. Too quiet. You'll see desks knocked over and blood on the walls—standard Dead Island 2 decor. Your first real objective is to find the "Employees of the Month" list. It’s a piece of paper sitting on a desk near the back. Pick it up. This tells you who you’re looking for: Kim, the reporter.
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Where Everyone Gets Stuck
Here is where the frustration peaks. The game tells you to "Search for Kim." It gives you a general search area, but it’s vague. You’re looking for a specific set of notes or a lead.
Go to the security booth.
It’s near the entrance of the office area. You’ll find a note titled "Kim's Note" or something similar (the game calls it "The Scoop of a Lifetime"). It’s a journal entry that explains she went to the local fast-food joint, Burger 66, to meet a source.
The Burger 66 Detour
You leave the office. You head to Burger 66. It's right around the corner, but the area is swarming with walkers and probably a few Runners who really want to ruin your day.
Inside Burger 66, you aren't looking for Kim herself yet. You’re looking for her bag. It’s behind the counter, near the fryers. Once you grab that, the quest updates. You realize the crew didn't just vanish; they were intercepted. This leads you to the final, most dangerous location: the construction site/parking garage area.
The Fight for the Truth
This is the "Dead Island 2 Scooped" climax. You finally find Kim, but she’s not exactly in a talkative mood. She’s trapped in a security booth at the back of a parking lot, and she's being swarmed.
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But wait. There's a catch.
Before you can get to her, you have to survive a mini-horde. This includes a "Slobber" (those lovely zombies that puke caustic bile at you) and several "Burning Runners." If you’re under-leveled, this fight is a nightmare.
Pro Tip: Use the environment. There are usually water jugs or fire extinguishers nearby. If you have a weapon with the "Electrocutor" mod, use the puddles to stun the entire group. It saves you a lot of health kits.
Once the area is clear, you talk to Kim through the glass. She’s safe, mostly. She gives you the final piece of the puzzle, and you realize the "scoop" they were chasing was way bigger than just a zombie outbreak—it involved the evacuation failures.
Why This Quest Matters for Your Build
Why bother with all this back-and-forth? Simple. The rewards.
Completing Dead Island 2 Scooped isn't just about the 3,000 XP (though that's a nice chunk). It’s about the weapon. Usually, you’ll get a Rare or Superior tier weapon, often a Sledgehammer or a heavy-hitting melee tool, along with a Perk or Mod that increases your critical hit damage.
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In a game where the "Late Game" difficulty spike is real, having a specialized weapon with high force is the difference between being a survivor and being a snack.
Nuance in the Narrative
One thing Dambuster did well here is the environmental storytelling. If you actually read the notes you pick up during the quest, you see the descent of the news team. They went from professional journalists trying to get the "big break" to terrified people realizing there is no "after" to report for. It's dark. It's subtle. Most players skip the text, but it’s worth a glance if you want to understand the lore of Hell-A.
Troubleshooting Common Bugs
Because it's a modern RPG, things can go sideways.
- The Interaction Prompt Doesn't Appear: Sometimes the bag at Burger 66 won't let you pick it up. If this happens, quit to the main menu and reload. It usually resets the object physics.
- Kim Won't Talk: If you kill all the zombies but Kim stays in her "cowering" animation, check the corners of the parking lot. Often, a single walker is stuck behind a crate, and the game won't trigger the dialogue until every single threat is dead.
- The Quest Won't Start: You must finish the main story mission "The Final Gauntlet" before this side quest becomes available. If you're looking for it early in the game, it simply won't be there.
Actionable Steps for Completion
If you want to knock this out in ten minutes instead of an hour, follow this exact sequence:
- Fast Travel to the Serling Hotel. Check the map for the blue exclamation mark in Ocean Avenue.
- Beeline to the LA 24 News Office. Don't stop to fight every zombie on the street; it's a waste of durability.
- Grab the "Employees of the Month" list on the back desk, then immediately hit the Security Booth for the second note.
- Run to Burger 66. Jump over the counter, grab the bag, and move.
- Head to the Parking Garage. This is the big fight. Equip a weapon with Impact or Electric damage.
- Clear the "Slobber" first. His ranged attacks will stagger you and make the Runners ten times more lethal.
- Talk to Kim and then head back to the Serling Hotel to turn it in.
Final Insights on Hell-A's Media
The Dead Island 2 Scooped mission serves as a grim reminder of how the world fell apart. While the quest navigation is objectively clunky, the payoff in terms of gear and world-building is solid. It’s one of those missions that tests your patience more than your combat skills, but once you know the path, it’s an easy checkmark on your completionist list.
Keep your eyes on the ground for those notes. In this game, the lore is literally lying in the trash. Get in, get the scoop, and get out before the Slobbers catch your scent.
Once you've finished up with Kim, your next move should be to check the Serling Hotel's second floor. There’s often a follow-up "Lost and Found" quest that triggers in the same vicinity, usually involving a missing influencer or a locked stash. Use the high-tier weapon you just earned from the news crew to make short work of the remaining Ocean Avenue freaks.