State of Decay 3 Was Revealed Early Partly Because of the Studio Boss' Anxiety Around Xbox's Plans

According to the boss of former Microsoft-owned Undead Labs, State of Decay 3 was revealed early because of concern that the studio might have got "swallowed up or divested before we had a chance to present to the world what we were working on."

The comments came in an interview with The Game Business, during which Holt admitted that while a small team was working on the game in 2020, development didn’t pick up until 2023.

State of Decay 3 was revealed during an Xbox showcase six years ago, in 2020, two years after the release of State of Decay 2. The zombie series features a simulated apocalypse where players have to manage food, resources, and the moods of their people while avoiding having their faces bitten off by the undead.

The anxiety Undead Labs had came from Xbox’s acquisition spree. Microsoft acquired Undead Labs, alongside PlayGround Games, Ninja Theory, and Compulsion Games, in 2018. …