The original State of Decay game was released in 2013, and the series has continued to expand since then. After the release of State of Decay 2 in 2018, a third installment is currently in development for Xbox and PC. The most recent update on State of Decay 3 is that production is accelerating as developer Undead Labs concludes work on State of Decay 2 and transitions to the third game. In this article, we'll gather all the information available about State of Decay 3.
State of Decay 3 was announced in 2020 but still lacks a release date. Undead Labs and Microsoft have provided very little information about the game. The first trailer for State of Decay 3 was released in 2020. The cinematic trailer featured a character following an animal's blood trail through the snow, leading to the discovery of a zombified deer. Quite a chilling scene! A second trailer, released in 2024, offered a deeper look into the game's world, but again, it was purely cinematic and did not include any gameplay footage. You can view both trailers below.
State of Decay 3 is not yet available for preorder. However, Game Pass Ultimate subscribers will be able to play the game for free upon its release. Both State of Decay and State of Decay 2 were exclusive to Xbox consoles (and also released on PC), and it's expected that State of Decay 3 will follow a similar pattern. Microsoft acquired Undead Labs after the launch of State of Decay 2, reinforcing the idea that the game will remain an Xbox console exclusive. Although Microsoft has recently brought some of its games to PlayStation, no such plans have been confirmed for State of Decay 3.
Since its announcement in 2020, Microsoft and Undead Labs have been relatively quiet about the game. However, in September 2024, Undead Labs announced that it was winding down development on State of Decay 2 to focus on State of Decay 3. 'Our goal is to create the best zombie survival simulator in the franchise, and to achieve this, we will be concentrating our efforts and resources on the upcoming third installment, State of Decay 3,' Undead Labs stated. Many are eager to know when State of Decay 3 will be released, but Undead Labs is not ready to disclose that information yet, promising more details 'at a later time.' 'Thank you for your ongoing support and for being the best gaming community. We're thrilled to dedicate ourselves to making the next game even better,' the studio added.
In 2022, Kotaku published a report detailing internal controversies at the studio, including accusations of sexism, bullying, and burnout. The report suggested that Microsoft's acquisition of Undead Labs was 'hindered by toxic workplace conditions and lack of direction.' In response, Xbox's Matt Booty stated, 'Undead Labs has undergone numerous positive changes, and we are confident in the direction the team is taking with State of Decay 3, one of our most ambitious open-world games currently in development.'
