Despite announcing Closed Beta registrations earlier this month, the murkiness around Undead Labs’ future after Xbox Game Studios’ massive restructuring earlier this summer was still lurking in the background. That thankfully is no longer the case. Not only that, but Undead Labs has confirmed that State of Decay 3 is still very much in development.
In a new blog post, the developer has confirmed that they are going independent, while revealing that State of Decay 3 is currently in alpha, with plans to enter a closed beta by the end of the year. The game is still aiming for release next year for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC via Steam and Microsoft Store.
“Independence brings us closer to our community and lets us focus on what matters most: making the best games we can and earning the continued support of the people who choose to spend their time with us,” said Undead Labs’ Studio Head, Philip Holt. “State of Decay exists because millions of players have made that choice over the years, and we’re dedicated to honoring their trust.”
“We’re enormously grateful for our years as part of Xbox and for everything that relationship has made possible. Microsoft has been part of the State of Decay story from the very beginning, and we’re proud of everything we’ve accomplished together.”
Indeed, the original State of Decay launched on the Xbox 360 in partnership with Microsoft in 2013. Microsoft eventually acquired Undead Labs in 2018, the same year the developer released State of Decay 2.
According to the post, further details about the developer’s future plans will be revealed “at a later date.”