State of Decay 3 Report Reveals Delay and New 2026 Release Date

Fans were hopeful to hear good news about State of Decay 3 after a trailer arrived in June 2024, but excitement gave way to dread in only a few short months. Speculation regarding a delay hit fever pitch in November. Now, they’ll be waiting even longer for a better look. The latest update on State of Decay 3 comes from insider Jez Corden, who says Undead Labs will be pushing the long-awaited survival game another year. This is just another tally on the delay board when it comes to delays for Undead Labs and the open-world Zombie survival game—but it’s not all sour grapes this time.

“I will say this, I did hear as well [Microsoft] were considering State of Decay 3 for 2025 as well. It’s closer to being finished than you would think, but I do think they’re going to let it slip to 2026,” Corden said on the XB2 podcast.

RELATED: State of Decay 2 Updates End as Undead Labs Shifts Focus to State of Decay 3

Undead Labs has been working on State of Decay 3 for years. Previous reports paint an ugly picture of its development. First revealed back in 2020, the team was reportedly still in the early stages of work when the first glimpse at the game was shown off. The first footage featured a harsh winter environment, and showcased infected wildlife as a terrifying new addition to the world. A Kotaku investigation into the studio reported the developers hadn’t even decided if that would feature would actually be in the game at that time, but the pressure to turn something in meant they rolled with the concept. Now, after battling a host of other problems (including internal studio issues) things have taken much firmer shape, even if it’s not quite ready yet.

This should be a net positive for the game. The team grew exponentially after the success of State of Decay 2. Expectations are higher than ever for the former indie. Each new glimpse at the game promises a more polished experienced than the previous two entries, and while they’ve certainly got the resources behind them to make that happen, that’s not all it takes to make something great. If Undead Labs can’t deliver on that expectation after all this time, fans would be right to worry about the future of the series. Especially given Microsoft’s recent track record of closing down entire studios.

All in all, the day one Game Pass launch will be a key factor for State of Decay 3. These types of online Survival titles need a big player base to be considered a success, and taking away the $70 barrier to entry opens the doors to far more players. As a longtime fan of the franchise, my fingers are crossed their gamble pays off. Nothing quite scratches the zombie game itch like this franchise, and even though my heart breaks every time I do something boneheaded and lose another survivor, I crave the devastation all the same.