It’s been a long while since we last saw Undead Labs’ State of Decay 3, but it’s back again at the Xbox Games Showcase with a new trailer. In addition, Xbox Wire has a new interview with the developer, going deeper into the trailer as well as the game’s development. No word on the release date.
Set years after a zombie apocalypse nearly wiped out humankind, State of Decay 3 is touted as “the next evolution in the State of Decay franchise.” As the zombie threat continues to claim lives, you must fight back and reclaim lost ground, carving out a life for your community of survivalist homesteaders.
Building on the previous entries in the series, State of Decay 3 will feature a much larger, “truly shared” open world, allowing Undead Labs to “bring emotional weight into that aspect of the game, with more context in how they want to be telling stories.”
According to the interview, Undead Labs has been teaming with Obsidian Entertainment on the shared world feature for State of Decay 3, enabling more flexible online co-op. Building off of the latter’s Grounded, State of Decay 3 aims to “deliver a truly open co-op world owned by multiple players.”
“I don’t think we could achieve State of Decay 3‘s vision if we weren’t part of Microsoft,” says Creative Director Kevin Patzelt. “I think if had we stayed independent, there’s just no way we could have had the time and the space and the support that we needed to be where we are today and to put out what we know we can make. It’s a different pressure. It’s not like that anymore. And I feel like as a team, at least in my career, I’ve never felt so supported to make what we know we want to make.”