State of Decay 3 was first announced back in 2020, but it’s been four years since then, and updates about the game are nearly non-existent. The latest peek at the survival shooter came by way of a new trailer from Undead Labs and Microsoft over the summer, but the developer has been radio silent ever since. Now, with that reveal well behind us, some fans are getting nervous about the lack of follow up.
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“I really hope we get a release date at The Game Awards this year. Its going to be at least 5 years from announcement to release, minimum,” a fan said on Reddit. “Is there a reason that its taken so long? Or is it just companies announcing things far too early?”
It’s hard to pin down exactly how long State of Decay 3 has been in development. Some reports suggest work on the title started back in 2018. We do know at least two other studios—The Coalition (Gears of War) and Obsidian Entertainment (Avowed, Fallout: New Vegas)—have contributed significantly to the project, and that Xbox is adamant about the game looking better than similar titles on the market.
“We want that game [State of Decay 3] to compete, we want it to compete visually,” Matt Booty, Head of Xbox Game Studios said. “One of the things that the team there is really focused on is animation, animation technology, being able to really up—for State of Decay 3—the interactivity between the player and the environment.”
That’s a tall task for a Undead Labs. The former indie studio employed only 60 or so people during the development of State of Decay 2. That number has since gone up after joining the Xbox Games Studio group of developers, bringing new problems to light as development on a third entry took off. The studio dealt with an investigation regarding toxic workplace culture in 2022, and according to Kotaku, State of Decay 3 wasn’t even out of pre-production at the time. A high percentage of staff turnover is a surefire way for a game to be delayed.
However, all hope is not lost for those still waiting. As the person who asked the question points out, the 2024 Game Awards are right around the corner. The end-of-year gaming industry celebration takes place on December 12th, and there is no hotter destination for game reveals, launch trailers, and updates on long-awaited titles. State of Decay 3 checks all the boxes to be worthy of the platform. Not only is it a hot ticket game that will likely be available day one on Xbox Game Pass, but host (and Executive Producer) Geoff Keighley is known for hoarding surprises to drop during the show.
There’s no way to know for sure what news is coming down the pipeline, but if you’re eager for updates, it might be worth tuning into The Game Awards just in case. Hazelight Games (It Takes Two) has confirmed its next game will be announced at the show, and you can bet your bottom dollar there will be more surprises than that.
