This huge, hotly anticipated Xbox game is “coming on really well,” but Xbox’s publishing lead can’t say more — “I think the [PR] in this room will murder me”

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It’s easy to forget about State of Decay 3, considering Microsoft and Xbox haven’t said much about it since it was first announced six years ago with a short trailer. Aside from a very brief glimpse at the Xbox Games Showcase in 2024, there’s been no news about the zombie survival game sequel – not even a hint of when it might be released.

Fans have been worried that State of Decay 3 might be canceled due to a long period of silence from the developers, Undead Labs, and Xbox. However, Craig Duncan, head of Xbox Game Studios, recently confirmed the game is still being made and shared that the progress he’s seen so far looks very good.

When asked about seeing more of State of Decay 3 in 2026, Duncan jokingly told GamesRadar+ that he feared a negative reaction from the public relations team if he revealed any details. He continued by saying he’s visited the development studio several times in the last six to eight months and has had the chance to play the game with the team. He assured them the game is progressing well, and that they’re very enthusiastic about the future of the franchise. He concluded by saying we’ll definitely hear more about it in the coming year, hoping that would satisfy the question.

Hearing this from the head of Xbox publishing is good news, even though it’s a little disappointing that after six years of work on State of Decay 3, this is all we know so far. Hopefully, it will ease fans’ worries that the game might be cancelled.

It’s understandable why gamers are feeling anxious or frustrated. Xbox has a history of announcing games well in advance, but then either canceling them or making fans wait a very long time for updates. Recent examples include the cancellation of Everwild and Perfect Dark, along with the shelving of Contraband. Plus, many are still waiting for The Elder Scrolls 6, which was originally announced back in 2018.

It looks like the newest State of Decay game is off to a good start! Will we hear more about it later in 2026? There’s even a chance we might get a surprise release date for this highly anticipated open-world survival game next year.

Duncan didn’t directly answer my questions, but his lighthearted reply to one of them suggests we might see more of Undead Labs’ next game later this year.

As a researcher following Xbox, I think it’s perfectly realistic to expect *something* at the 2026 Games Showcase. However, a surprise release of State of Decay 3 in 2026 seems unlikely to me. If it were scheduled to come out this year, I genuinely believe Microsoft would have showcased it during the 2026 Xbox Developer Direct.

We’ll have to wait and see if State of Decay 3 will actually come out in 2026, and if we’ll finally learn when it’s releasing after six years of anticipation. When it does arrive, it will be available to play for Xbox Game Pass subscribers.

State of Decay 2, which came out in 2018, received its last update in late 2024. The team at Undead Labs then shifted their full attention to developing State of Decay 3. This final update addressed many bugs and problems and made all previously exclusive content available to everyone.

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2026-01-24 01:39