State of Decay 3 is the next entry in the survival zombie series from Undead Labs.
First revealed six years ago, the Xbox Games Showcase 2026 event in June confirmed the new game is slated to arrive in 2027. Now, there may be some worries among all you zombie fans. After all, a few weeks after the 2026 showcase, we learned of a significant restructure at Microsoft. And with news of a new wave of redundancies and studio mergers in September, it has been confirmed that Undead Labs is now an independent studio. But the game is still on the way, and development ongoing.
For more on State of Decay 3, read on below to find a full overview of everything you need to know about the next entry in one of the best zombie game series, from release platforms to the trailers, and more.
State of Decay 3 release window
State of Decay 3's release window has been set for February 2027.
While the firm date itself is still up in the air, this is still excellent news for all of us zombie-blasting hopefuls who have been eagerly awaiting a sign of life from developer Undead Labs for six years now. I'll keep you posted in the meantime, so check back soon and hopefully all will be revealed!
Will State of Decay 3 be on PS5?
State of Decay 3 will be launching on Xbox Series X/S, PC, and PS5 consoles, as confirmed in a recent trailer at June's Xbox Games Showcase 2026.
With State of Decay 3 moving out of the Xbox Game Studios umbrella, there were concerns that it would not be a Game Pass option. However, the good news is that while Undead Labs is now an independent studio, State of Decay 3 will still be on Game Pass on day one. I'll keep you posted if that changes at all, though.
Here are all the State of Decay 3 trailers so far
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 trailer that debuted during the Xbox Game Showcase 2024 (which you can watch below). 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.
Here's everything we know about the 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 "ultimate fulfillment of the survival fantasy". 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."
Is 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".
Here's how the State of Decay 3 development is going
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. In October 2024, the studio then 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.
Now set to go under new leadership after departing from Xbox Game Studios in July 2026, Undead Labs stated that it's still committed to bringing State of Decay 3 to players. We'll be keeping our eyes peeled for any further updates on the game's development going forward.
While we wait for more information, check out the other upcoming horror games coming this year and beyond.
