State of Decay 3 has resurfaced at the Xbox Games Showcase with a new trailer, a release window, and confirmation of a PlayStation 5 edition.
State of Decay 3 will release in 2027 for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC.
“In State of Decay 3 you’ll construct settlements, maintain a community of survivors, and battle back against an encroaching zombie threat–with support for solo play or shared world co-op for up to four players–all within a massive open world survival sandbox,” reads a line from the game’s description.
State of Decay 3 is already playable via an alpha version, and the developer said people are “having a blast” with it thus far. The alpha test will be expanded to more people, and then there will be a beta for even more people to try.
You can sign up for the State of Decay 3 tests on the game’s website.
Undead Labs also confirmed that everything in the new trailer was captured in game. “We did not use CGI,” the developer said.
“We’re just scratching the surface of what this game is offering for players. It’s a very heavy moment-to-moment combat-oriented trailer but we also give you a sneak peek into one of the settlements. In the trailer, you can see one of the many settlements you can claim, including some of the facility and community elements. We plan to show more of that as we go on,” the developer said.
Undead Labs also discussed a new feature for State of Decay 3–Plague Nests. These are the “next evolution” of Plague Hearts from State of Decay 2.
“Think of it as an enemy with its own plans. We spent a lot of time thinking through what it does, how it works, and how it reacts to what actions the players take. These are dynamic sources or hubs of enemy encounters that players can go in and destroy, even if only for a little while,” the studio explained.
Additionally, Undead Labs confirmed that State of Decay 3’s map is “much larger” than the playable space in State of Decay 2. Specifically, the State of Decay 3 map is “about four times the size of a single State of Decay 2 map,” and the map is “fully open.”
State of Decay 3 has a “shared world,” which Undead Labs said was “another huge investment” for the game.
“In a shared world, any one of us can make changes to the world. You can come in, asynchronously of me, playing the same save at different times. You can move the story forward, you could build facilities, you can get a second or even third settlement–players can now have up to three bases that they can then grow and expand into over time,” the developer said.
Head to the Xbox Wire to read even more about what to expect in State of Decay 3.