Why State of Decay 3 Is Still Launching on Game Pass
Undead Labs has confirmed that State of Decay 3 will continue launching on Game Pass despite the studio’s separation from Xbox. In an interview with Game File, Studio Head Philip Holt defended the decision to maintain the Game Pass commitment, citing the platform’s ongoing value to the franchise.
Holt highlighted that Game Pass continues to drive significant player engagement for the State of Decay series, with “several thousand people coming through the door every day” via the subscription service. This statement underscores why the developer views Game Pass as an important distribution channel regardless of the studio’s organizational changes.
The confirmation comes as notable news in the gaming industry, as developer-platform partnerships often face uncertainty following studio separations or reorganizations. Undead Labs’ commitment to Game Pass demonstrates the platform’s continued strategic importance for multiplatform releases, even when developers achieve greater independence from Microsoft’s direct oversight.