Summary
- State of Decay 3 may be delayed until 2026, based on reliable sources like Jez Corden.
- The game’s development has seen support from other Microsoft-owned studios, providing optimism for its direction.
- A potential delay to 2026 could help State of Decay 3 avoid competition and address technical issues to ensure a smooth release.
State of Decay 3 was first announced all the way back in 2020 at the Xbox Games Showcase. The upcoming third entry in Undead Labs’ open-world survival zombie series has been a long time coming, and the prevailing thought was that it would be released sometime in 2025. However, that may no longer be the case, as, according to a new report by Jez Corden, the wait for State of Decay 3 will possibly extend into 2026. As Corden stated on a recent episode of his XB2 podcast, “It’s closer to being finished than you would think, but I think they are gonna let that one slip.”
Though the delay isn’t officially confirmed or denied by the developer or publisher Microsoft Game Studios at this time, Corden is known to be a reliable source, and thus fans may have good reason to put stock into the claim that State of Decay 3 won’t see the light of day until 2026. And while this is likely a disappointing development for those who are eagerly awaiting it, a possible delay might also come with a few upsides.
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How State of Decay 3’s Rumored Delay Could Benefit It in the Long Run
State of Decay 3’s Development Has Been Slow, But Steady
Since its original unveiling nearly five years ago, State of Decay 3 has seen sporadic but mostly positive updates and announcements regarding its progress. Earlier in 2024, Undead Labs revealed that it was receiving assistance from two other Microsoft-owned studios, Obsidian Entertainment (Fallout: New Vegas, The Outer Worlds) and The Coalition (now heading development on the Gears of War franchise) on State of Decay 3. They were brought on to help fine-tune aspects like State of Decay 3‘s multiplayer co-op and optimize its switch to Unreal Engine 5.
Around the same time as the above, the most recent trailer for State of Decay 3 debuted at the 2024 Xbox Games Showcase. This served to assure fans that work on State of Decay 3 was still continuing, and highlighted some of the new cinematics and other aspects players can look forward to in it. The trailer provided a timely and encouraging update, helping to reignite some of the excitement for it that was previously waning. While it may be taking its time, State of Decay 3 has been steadily creeping along.
Why State of Decay 3’s Latest Rumored Delay Could End up Being Advantageous
While a delay would understandably be disappointing for those who were hoping to see it arrive in 2025, State of Decay 3‘s potential push to 2026 could actually help it out in a couple of ways. Firstly, there are a slew of zombie-centric games set to drop in 2025, all of which would present State of Decay 3 with some tough competition and risk it getting lost in the crowded field of other anticipated titles. Microsoft has delayed other games recently in order to better space out titles both for its internal release pace and for the wider schedule. It may thus be considering doing the same with State of Decay 3 in light of this.
Another consideration is that State of Decay 2 experienced technical issues at launch, and it would be prudent for the third to take the time needed to avoid a similar situation. There are a number of elements and mechanics State of Decay 3 looks to improve on, and the decision to potentially give it another year or so in the oven could help in ironing out any kinks involved. Though it would mean fans have to remain patient, State of Decay 3 being saved for 2026 could allow it the time needed to ensure the third entry is up to snuff, along with creating some separation from other adjacent titles, and give an optimal release window to stand out and deliver on its promises.
