State of Decay 3 is the next entry in Undead Lab's open-world survival zombie series that looks set to expand on what's come before. Officially revealed back in 2020, it wasn't until the Xbox Game Showcase 2024 that we got a substantial update on the game, with a trailer and more details that shed more light on what's in store for us.
As the sequel to 2018's State of Decay 2, the third installment promises to bring us a more ambitious follow-up and further dial into past features. From improving co-op to making it feel more meaningful when you lose a survivor to the undead, it's already shaping up to be one of the most exciting upcoming Xbox Series X game.
We also know that State of Decay 3 now has with a bigger team working on the project under the Xbox Game Studios banner, but we're still awaiting news on when we can expect this upcoming survival adventure to arrive among the slate of new games.
Read on below for a full recap of everything we know so far about State of Decay 3.
Recent updates
This overview of everything we know so far about State of Decay 3 was updated on December 19, 2024 to ensure everything is up-to-date.
State of Decay 3 release date is still unconfirmed
Xbox Game Studios is yet to confirm a release date for State of Decay 3. After being announced at the Xbox Games Showcase back in 2020, a trailer later dropped in 2024, but nothing has been confirmed as of yet about when we can expect the third entry to launch.
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 trailers
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.
Four years later, we then at long last got another look at the upcoming survival zombie game with a new trailer during the Xbox Game Showcase 2024. Appearing to show small snippets of gameplay, the trailer showed off State of Decay's emphasis on the survivors and the permadeath feature from previous games, with the characters remembering those they've lost along the way.
State of Decay 3 gameplay
We've still not really seen all that much in the way of State of Decay 3 gameplay, but the studio is aiming to deliver the "new ultimate in zombie survival simulation." As for what the "next evolution in State of Decay" will ultimately look like, a podcast from Xbox's Major Nelson back in 2022 revealed 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.
State of Decay 2 was a survival simulation which let you navigate a zombie apocalypse by shaping your own community of survivors, managing resources, and establishing defenses against a surmounting horde of undead intruders. (For a refresher, check out our State of Decay 2 review).
An Xbox Wire post following the Xbox Game Showcase 2024 detailed that State of Decay 3 is set to build on those foundations in a "much larger, truly shared open world". Features from previous installments will be making a comeback, with a greater emphasis put on permadeath to really drive the idea that a community member has been lost.
"I think it's important for not just the player to have that remembrance, but the characters in the world as well," creative director Kevin Patzelt explains on Xbox Wire. "So, our narrative systems are really going to be there to help support those biggest ones. Because there’s nothing bigger than losing a community member, especially if there's someone that you invested a lot of time and energy into. I think we need to do a better job of showing that sacrifice is meaningful and how it might impact the community."
State of Decay 3 co-op
The June 2024 Xbox Wire post also detailed that Undead Labs is collaborating with Obsidian Entertainment - the studio behind co-op game Grounded - to bring to life the "shared world feature" and enable more "flexible online co-op".
“We're heavily emphasizing engaging co-op combat," Patzelt details in Xbox Wire. "Taking a close look at our level design and approach to how we're building the world to ensure that players can have a blast smashing and shooting zombies together out in the open world".
State of Decay 3 development
State of Decay 3 may have been announced in 2020, but it was later 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.
Following these reports, it had been quiet on the State of Decay 3 front for quite some time before a fresh trailer dropped for the game during the Xbox Games Showcase in summer 2024. Most recently, the studio has revealed a logo change, with a dev diary shedding light on an increased headcount on the team, which is now six times larger than it was for the first State of Decay.
While we wait for more information, check out the other upcoming horror games set to release in the future.
