With Xbox's State of Decay 3 on the horizon, updates for its predecessor are ending after 6 years: "We’re excited to devote ourselves to making the next game even better"

What you need to know

State of Decay 2 is a 2018 open-world survival game set in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. Released as an Xbox console exclusive by Undead Labs, it’s been continuously updated for six years.
Now, though, Undead Labs is ending support for the game as it shifts to fully focus on the upcoming sequel, State of Decay 3.
State of Decay 2 will remain fully playable and purchasable (including through Xbox Game Pass), and existing saves and saved communities won’t be affected. However, Undead Labs will be closing bug reports.
Work on State of Decay 2 will officially end with one final patch: Update 38. This update will fix remaining bugs, implement some final improvements, and make content that was previously time-gated possible to loot at all times in the game’s open world.
Update 38’s specific release date is unclear at the time of writing, though Undead Labs says it’s coming “later this year.”

As a researcher who has spent countless hours immersed in the post-apocalyptic world of State of Decay 2 over the past six years, it’s bittersweet to see the game’s development coming to an end. The game has been a constant companion during late-night gaming sessions, offering a unique blend of survival and strategy that kept me engaged for hundreds of hours.

Six years after it first debuted in 2018, the support for one of Xbox’s most popular exclusive games will end soon, following almost 40 significant updates and downloadable content expansions

The game under discussion is State of Decay 2, which is the follow-up to Undead Labs’ 2013 zombie survival game set during an apocalypse. This is the precursor to the highly anticipated State of Decay 3, due in 2025. Since its release, there haven’t been many updates about the upcoming Xbox Series X|S and PC sequel, with only a 2020 teaser and this year’s new trailer. Despite this, developers have consistently added fresh content and upgrades to the second game as a means of keeping fans engaged. However, now Undead Labs is shifting its attention entirely towards State of Decay 3

The team behind this world you cherish and the community you’ve nurtured has some exciting news. You’ve been immersed in State of Decay 2 for quite a while now, but did you know we’re also working on the next phase of our franchise? Our goal is to create the most outstanding zombie survival simulation within our series, and to accomplish that, we will be directing our efforts and resources towards developing the upcoming third game, State of Decay 3

Despite State of Decay 2 support coming to an end soon, Undead Labs has revealed they have one more release planned for their open-world zombie title – Update 38. This update will essentially be the development team’s final farewell, focusing on fixing remaining bugs, implementing last-minute improvements, and adding previously time-gated or seasonal items to the game’s general loot pool

“The developers have announced that a significant update, Update 38, for State of Decay 2 will be released towards the end of this year. This update intends to rectify persistent problems, enhance the overall user experience with additional quality-of-life improvements, and permanently unlock seasonal or previously restricted content like Winter outfits and the Wizard Van. We’re grateful for your ongoing patronage and consider you an exceptional gaming community. We can’t wait to work harder on making our next project even more impressive.”

A short FAQ that followed the above statements confirms that State of Decay 2 will still be available to purchase and play through Xbox Game Pass once Update 38 releases, and that save files and saved communities will be unaffected by the lack of developer support moving forward (Bounty Broker bounties will still cycle, too). However, Undead Labs does plan to stop accepting bug reports after it’s out (though it did mention it would develop one final post-patch hotfix if it ends up being necessary), and encourages fans to make use of its official Player Guide and reach out to seasoned players in the State of Decay Discord if they need help.

With Xbox's State of Decay 3 on the horizon, updates for its predecessor are ending after 6 years: "We’re excited to devote ourselves to making the next game even better"

38’s exact release date is yet to be specified, but we anticipate it within the next three months as it was planned for “later this year.” When Undead Labs provides a specific launch time for the update, they are expected to announce it on their official platforms like the State of Decay X Twitter account or Microsoft’s Xbox Wire blog

For longtime State of Decay 2 players, this news is surely a little disappointing. With that said, Undead Labs has done an excellent job keeping the game fresh over the years with continuous updates, and will hopefully make State of Decay 3 the amazing game Xbox and PC players are hoping it will be by going full steam ahead on what remains of the sequel’s development.

State of Decay 2 stands as one of the top-tier Xbox games and PC games to play if you’re a fan of open-world zombie apocalypse survival games, even without ongoing support. You can purchase it for $29.99 on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One consoles, and Windows PC, or enjoy playing it through Xbox Game Pass, PC Game Pass, and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription services

2024-09-04 23:09

With Xbox’s State of Decay 3 on the horizon, updates for its predecessor are ending after 6 years: “We’re excited to devote ourselves to making the next game even better”

What you need to know

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