After a two-year period of relative silence, Undead Labs has finally provided an update on the development of State of Decay 3. The studio officially announced that alpha testing for the highly anticipated survival game will commence next month, with registration now open for interested players.
Brant Fitzgerald, co-founder of the franchise, shared insights into what participants can expect. The game will feature a four-player cooperative mode, enhanced base-building mechanics, refined resource management systems, and a more robust combat experience. To register for the alpha, players must sign up via Discord and provide their email address. While initial spots are limited, Undead Labs plans to conduct additional testing phases throughout the year.
The developers stated their intention to actively share more details in the coming months, covering development progress, new features, and opportunities to join future alpha tests.
State of Decay 3 was initially revealed in 2020, at which point it was in the early pre-production stages. Its development journey has not been without challenges, including accusations of a toxic work environment and discrimination, and criticism directed at Microsoft for its slow response to employee complaints. The studio also underwent layoffs last year.
Despite these hurdles, 2024 saw the release of a new in-engine trailer, and support for State of Decay 2 was concluded to allow the team to fully focus on the sequel. Craig Duncan, head of Xbox Game Studios, commented that development is “going very well.”