State of Decay 3 releases 2027, seven years after it was first announced

State of Decay 3, the long-awaited co-op zombie survival game from Undead Labs, will launch in 2027 across Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and PC, with availability on Game Pass. The announcement marks a significant milestone for the franchise, which was originally announced in July 2020—nearly six years prior.

During the 2026 Xbox Games Showcase, developers revealed an extended gameplay trailer showcasing the game’s core mechanics: building and managing settlements, resource gathering, weapon crafting, and surviving coordinated zombie encounters. The footage demonstrated four-player cooperative gameplay, a central feature of the experience alongside base-building and community management systems.

Notably, State of Decay 3 will be the first entry in the franchise to launch on PlayStation, expanding the series’ platform availability beyond its Xbox and PC roots. The confirmation represents a strategic shift for Undead Labs, signaling confidence in the title’s cross-platform appeal.

The studio began accepting players for an alpha playtest in April 2026, allowing early access to test multiplayer co-op, settlement building, and resource management systems. While no specific release window beyond “2027” has been provided, the gameplay reveal and active testing suggest the game is in an advanced development stage.

The journey to this announcement has been marked by extended silence. Following the original 2020 reveal, the project went largely without updates until 2024, a gap that coincided with reports of workplace issues at Undead Labs in 2022. The studio’s reappearance with substantial gameplay footage confirms progress on the long-delayed title.

Sources