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State of Decay 3 is officially set to bring Undead Labs' zombie-infested series back in a new entry that promises to put more of an emphasis on the survivors we'll be playing. However, you may be wondering about the status of this new game. After all, news around it has been pretty quiet, but that's where this guide comes in handy.
First revealed almost six years ago in 2020, updates on the new survival game have been few and far between, with only one more trailer dropping since its initial announcement. But, in an interview with us here at GamesRadar+, Xbox Game Studio's lead, Craig Duncan (who formerly worked at Sea of Thieves studio, Rare), offered some assurances that State of Decay 3 is coming along well. "I have done a number of visits to that studio in the last six to eight months, Duncan says. "I have sat and played the game with the team a bunch of times. It's coming on really well. We're very excited about the franchise and its potential."
With Duncan expecting to see a lot more of the next State of Decay game this year, we're also expecting some juicy 2026 updates and have gathered every last shred of news and information we can in order to prepare for any impending announcements. So read on below to find a full breakdown on everything you need to know about State of Decay 3.
Is there a State of Decay 3 release date yet?
Xbox Game Studios has yet to confirm a release date for State of Decay 3. After being announced at the Xbox Games Showcase back in 2020, a trailer was later dropped during the Xbox Game Studios 2024 showcase, but nothing has been confirmed as of yet about when we can expect the third entry to launch.
However, we do think that it's possible that we'll hear news later in 2026, so maybe a 2027 release is on the cards. That is just speculation on our part, though. We will keep you posted if any news drops.
Will State of Decay 3 be on PS5?
Sorry folks, State of Decay 3 is only currently set to release on Xbox Series X/S 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.
While Xbox has been pushing a multiplatform strategy in recent times - with the likes of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Forza Horizon 5, and Avowed getting releases on PS5, we don't yet know if State of Decay 3 will follow suit. Could it be the first State of Decay game to come to other platforms? We'll have to wait to see, but it may be a possibility.
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.
While we wait for more information, check out the other upcoming horror games coming this year and beyond.
