With Xbox's State of Decay 3 on the horizon, updates for its predecessor are ending after 6 years: "We’re excited to devote ourselves to making the next game even better"

State of Decay 2.

What you need to know

• State of Decay 2 is a 2018 open-world survival game set in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. Released as an Xbox console exclusive by Undead Labs, it's been continuously updated for six years.
• Now, though, Undead Labs is ending support for the game as it shifts to fully focus on the upcoming sequel, State of Decay 3.
• State of Decay 2 will remain fully playable and purchasable (including through Xbox Game Pass), and existing saves and saved communities won't be affected. However, Undead Labs will be closing bug reports.
• Work on State of Decay 2 will officially end with one final patch: Update 38. This update will fix remaining bugs, implement some final improvements, and make content that was previously time-gated possible to loot at all times in the game's open world.
• Update 38's specific release date is unclear at the time of writing, though Undead Labs says it's coming "later this year."

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A full six years after its initial launch back in 2018, support for one of the biggest Xbox console exclusives is officially coming to a close after nearly 40 major updates and DLC expansions.

The game in question is State of Decay 2 — Undead Labs' popular sequel to the original 2013 zombie apocalypse survival game, and the predecessor to the long-awaited State of Decay 3 that's expected to arrive at some point in 2025. Though we've seen very little of the upcoming Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC sequel besides a reveal teaser in 2020 and a new trailer shown earlier this year, the series' developers have frequently patched the second game with a plethora of new content and features to tide fans over. Now, however, Undead Labs is moving on to focus all of its resources on State of Decay 3.

"We know you love this world we’ve created and the amazing community you’ve helped build. While you’ve enjoyed State of Decay 2 for many years, you may have heard that we are also hard at work on the next evolution of the franchise," wrote the studio in an official announcement. "Our ambition is to make the greatest zombie survival sim in the franchise, and to do so, we’ll be shifting our focus and resources to making the upcoming third installment, State of Decay 3."

With nearly forty content updates for #StateOfDecay2, we're ready to move on to our next chapter.Without you and this amazing community, we wouldn't be on this journey and we can't wait for you to see what we've got cookin'! 🧡For answers to some frequently asked questions,… pic.twitter.com/mioSSajMqQSeptember 4, 2024

While State of Decay 2 support is ending, though, it hasn't actually ended just yet. Undead Labs says it has plans for one more release for the open-world zombie title: Update 38. This patch will essentially serve as the development team's one last hurrah, with it planning to address some remaining bugs, implement final improvements, and add items that were seasonally and/or time-gated previously to the game's general loot pool.

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"You can expect a final content update for State of Decay 2 coming later this year. This final update, Update 38, aims to fix some longstanding issues, implement additional quality of life improvements, and permanently unlock seasonal or otherwise previously-gated content, such as Winter outfits and the Wizard Van," confirmed the developer. "Thank you for your continued support and for being the greatest gaming community there is. We’re excited to devote ourselves to making the next game even better."

A short FAQ that followed the above statements confirms that State of Decay 2 will still be available to purchase and play through Xbox Game Pass once Update 38 releases, and that save files and saved communities will be unaffected by the lack of developer support moving forward (Bounty Broker bounties will still cycle, too). However, Undead Labs does plan to stop accepting bug reports after it's out (though it did mention it would develop one final post-patch hotfix if it ends up being necessary), and encourages fans to make use of its official Player Guide and reach out to seasoned players in the State of Decay Discord if they need help.

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A survivor aims a rifle at a group of incoming zombies in State of Decay 2. (Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

Update 38's specific release date is currently unclear, though we do know it's coming at some point in the next three months since it's scheduled to come out "later this year." Once Undead Labs has a more specific launch time for the patch, it will likely be shared on official channels like the State of Decay X (Twitter) page or Microsoft's Xbox Wire blog.

For longtime State of Decay 2 players, this news is surely a little disappointing. With that said, Undead Labs has done an excellent job keeping the game fresh over the years with continuous updates, and will hopefully make State of Decay 3 the amazing game Xbox and PC players are hoping it will be by going full steam ahead on what remains of the sequel's development.

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Even without active support, State of Decay 2 will remain one of the best Xbox games and best PC games you can play if you enjoy fighting for survival in open-world zombie apocalypse scenarios. It's available on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One consoles, and Windows PC for $29.99, though you can also play it with Xbox Game Pass, PC Game Pass, and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.