After remaining radio silent for nearly two years, Undead Labs has resurfaced to announce alpha playtests for State of Decay 3. Franchise co-creator Brant Fitzgerald said in a new video that they would begin next month with sign-ups currently available.
“Listen, I’m not going to spoil the surprise for you, but I can say that it will feature 4-player co-op, some new base building and resource strategies, and a whole lot of combat.” You’ll need to register your Discord and email address to join, and while slots are limited, don’t worry. Fitzgerald said that it will have “plenty of other opportunities” throughout the year.
But that’s not all. As the months go on, Undead Labs will share “more updates” during development, ensuring players know “what’s new, what we’re learning,” and when they can have their chance at the alpha.
While announced in 2020, State of Decay 3 was actually in “early pre-production” at the time. Since it utilizes Unreal Engine 5, The Coalition would assist with their expertise, and rumors indicated “heavier” narrative elements and improved visual fidelity. Unfortunately, development stalled after allegations of workplace toxicity and sexism, with Microsoft (which owns the studio) blamed for not responding to complaints quickly enough.
Nevertheless, a new in-engine trailer debuted in 2024, and though it didn’t end up releasing last year as rumored, Undead Labs would stop content updates for State of Decay 2 to focus on the sequel. The developer would face an unknown number of layoffs last year, but despite all these hurdles, Xbox Game Studios head Craig Duncan says it’s “coming on really well.”
As always, stay tuned for more updates, including whether it will allegedly launch for PS5 alongside Xbox Series X/S and PC.
