Key information
Undead Labs, the developer behind the State of Decay series, recently achieved independence from Xbox following a corporate restructuring. Studio head Phillip Holt confirmed that the team is now employee-owned, allowing them to focus exclusively on completing the development of State of Decay 3 without external corporate mandates.
The studio head explained that the early announcement of State of Decay 3 was driven by concerns regarding Microsoft's aggressive acquisition strategy. Holt admitted he did not anticipate the scale of these purchases, fearing that the studio's identity and the significance of their upcoming project would be overshadowed by other acquisitions before they could properly showcase their vision.
Regarding development, Holt noted that while the team has been working on the project since the release of State of Decay 2, serious production only accelerated between 2022 and 2023. Despite recent layoffs at the studio, Holt assured that there will be no content cuts for the final game, although some adjustments were necessary.
State of Decay 3 is currently nearing the end of its development cycle. The studio has confirmed that a closed beta for the title is planned for this year, specifically on PC, while availability for other platforms remains to be determined.
