Undead Labs boss Philip Holt has revealed that anxiety around XBOX is the reason why State of Decay 3 was revealed seven years earlier than its intended release.
State of Decay 2, the previous installment in the series, was released in 2018. Just two years later, players were informed about the upcoming installment, State of Decay 3. However, a considerable amount of time has passed, and we have only just reached the game’s beta. The developer has now explained why development took so long.
State of Decay 3 Development Didn’t Pick Up Until 2022 or 2023
In a new interview with The Game Business, Philip Holt revealed that State of Decay 3 had a very small development team when it was announced, and development didn’t pick up until 2022 or 2023. Holt explains that the team wasn’t sure of XBOX’s plans; hence, the game was announced so early.
Holt expressed uncertainty about whether Microsoft had finished acquiring companies or if they planned to buy more small developers. He was concerned that they might target larger competitors, which made him worry about the possibility of being “swallowed up or divested” before they could unveil their project. As a result, the team decided to announce the game, with Holt stating, “The audience knows it’s in development, and here’s a trailer to demonstrate our vision.”
Xbox’s reorganization has been announced, and Undead Labs has gone independent; however, the two haven’t ended their relationship yet. The game is still set to release day one on Game Pass, which helps bring ‘several thousand players‘ to the franchise every day.
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