It's been a long time since we last heard any concrete updates on State of Decay 3, the new zombie survival simulation from Undead Labs. The sequel to 2018's State of Decay 2 has long been anticipated, particularly as the development studio has since been acquired by Microsoft and brought in under the Xbox Game Studios banner.
State of Decay 3 is undoubtedly one of the most anticipated upcoming Xbox Series X games, with the Unreal Engine 5 developed survival game promising to offer a "next evolution" on the formula Undead Labs has created for this series. While it's been a few years since the 2020 unveiling now, all eyes are on the upcoming Xbox Games Showcase, launching as part of the E3 2023 schedule on June 11, for more information. While we wait for more news, keep reading to find everything we know so far about State of Decay 3.
Latest State of Decay 3 news
- Microsoft says State of Decay 3 is being developed in Unreal Engine 5 with support from The Coalition
- Undead Labs' former studio head expects State of Decay 3 to be the "ultimate fulfillment of the survival fantasy"
State of Decay 3 release date rumors
Xbox Game Studios is yet to confirm a release date for State of Decay 3. Despite being announced at the Xbox Games Showcase in 2020 there have been precious few details released surrounding the upcoming survival game, although developer Undead Labs is said to be still hard at work on its Xbox Series X exclusive.
State of Decay 3 platforms
State of Decay 3 is set to release on Xbox Series X and PC. Like all of the other video games in development under the Xbox Games Studio publishing wing, State of Decay 3 will launch day one on the Xbox Game Pass subscription service, and is expected to be available via Xbox Cloud Gaming like its predecessor, State of Decay 2.
State of Decay 3 trailer
State of Decay 3 made its debut during the Xbox Games Showcase at E3 2020. It was revealed with a 90 second cinematic trailer, showing a lone character equipped with a knife and crossbow trying to survive in a snowy wasteland. You can watch the first State of Decay 3 trailer above.
State of Decay 3 gameplay
While Undead Labs is yet to reveal all that much about the State of Decay 3 gameplay experience, the studio is promising that it will be the "new ultimate in zombie survival simulation." As for what the "next evolution in State of Decay" will ultimately look like, we know that the game is being developed in Unreal Engine 5, with Undead Labs collaborating with Gears of War developer The Coalition to get the most out of the platform.
It's been five years since the release of State of Decay 2, a survival simulation which sought to let players navigate a zombie apocalypse by maintaining relationships with allies, managing resources, and establishing defenses against a surmounting horde of undead intruders. We expect Undead Labs to build on these systems for State of Decay 3 and, if the reveal trailer is anything to go by, there should be a greater focus on both exploration and combating corrupted wildlife – making the task of gathering usable sustenance all that much harder.
State of Decay 3 development
State of Decay 3 may have been announced in 2020, but it has been reported that the game was still in pre-production as of 2022. This news came out as part of an investigation into developer Undead Labs' workplace culture, in which studio staff put forward allegations of sexism, bullying, and burnout to reporters at Kotaku. We've heard very little on the development of State of Decay 3 since then, outside of Xbox Game Studios head Matt Booty confirming that Microsoft is happy with the direction the game is heading in on an episode of Xbox's Major Nelson podcast.
While we wait for more information, check out the other upcoming horror games set to release in 2023 and beyond.
