State of Decay 2 gets Xbox Series X enhancements and Lethal Difficulty

State of Decay 2 is now optimized for Xbox Series X, and it also has a new difficulty mode and free item pack available for players on all systems.

The official Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S update for State of Decay 2 delivers the usual goods: extra fast load times, faster frame rates at up to 4K resolution, and a more detailed world and shadows. The official announcement from Undead Labs product director Henry Goffin confirms that the new consoles will provide the "highest-quality perma-death experience possible" when your favorite survivor gets torn apart by ambushing hordes.

Whether or not you're playing on the new consoles, you can try out State of Decay's new Lethal Difficulty mode. Lethal is meant to be "right to the edge of impossible," with harder-hitting enemies, more common plague hearts, and even more scarce resources. Oh, and the special zombies are all automatically replaced with their plague heart versions, just to really rub it in. New achievements added for Lethal Difficulty will bestow up to 100 Gamerscore on hearty survivors.

If you just want fewer resources but you don't really want plague hearts everywhere, you'll be able to pick the new settings a la carte with custom difficulty. That sounds like the way to go to me, though you won't get the new achievements that way.

Lastly, the new Stay Frosty Pack is available free to all players who claim it for a limited time. It adds more than a dozen items that can be earned through challenges or found out in the world, from winter camo weapons and outfits to a special Maintenance Bench mod for reducing weapon breakdowns.

If you're still looking to pick up a new console yourself, make sure you stay tuned to our guide on how to buy Xbox Series X. If you need some advice when it comes to surviving the video game zombie apocalypse, check out our State of Decay 2 tips.