State of Decay 3 Alpha Playtests Start in May

Undead Labs announced on Friday that alpha playtests for the long-awaited zombie survival game State of Decay 3 will begin next month, offering fans their first hands-on experience with the title nearly six years after its initial reveal.

The playtests, set to launch in May, mark a significant step forward for the project, which was first unveiled at the 2020 Xbox Games Showcase with a planned release on Xbox Series X/S and Windows PC. Development has progressed quietly since then, with a gameplay trailer released in 2024 confirming its inclusion in Xbox Game Pass. Brant Fitzgerald, art director and franchise co-creator, explained in an announcement video that the team has incorporated community feedback gathered from Discord discussions and YouTube gameplay clips and livestreams of the previous game. "We've read your feedback on Discord, we've watched your gameplay clips and livestreams on YouTube," Fitzgerald said. "It became clear that community is survival and that we need your help."

The initial alpha sessions will feature four-player co-op gameplay, updated base-building mechanics, new resource management strategies, and extensive combat encounters focused on scavenging...