Undead Labs has finally showcased the gameplay for its upcoming zombie survival game State of Decay 3. The gameplay was showcased with a new trailer during XBOX Games Summer Showcase 2026. The trailer clocks in at just over 3 minutes in length, and you can check it out below.
Along with the various ways players can take on hordes of zombies throughout State of Decay 3, like homemade traps rigged to bombs that can take out massive groups, the trailer also showcases how the zombies are going to be much more dangerous this time around. As the narrator notes, the dead aren’t just wandering around anymore; they have started actively hunting for survivors.
This indicates that, rather than focusing on purely building out their base by getting their hands on supplies like in the earlier State of Decay titles, State of Decay 3 will instead force players to be more proactive in taking out zombie nests to ensure that hunting packs don’t get too close to survivor camps.
The trailer also indicates that State of Decay 3 will have even stronger support for co-op multiplayer, rather than the simplistic system that we had last seen in State of Decay 2. The protagonist often seems to be accompanied by a couple of other characters that seemingly behave in more intelligent ways than NPC-controlled characters would.
State of Decay 3 is slated for a 2027 release, and will be coming to PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. As is the case with titles made by studios under the XBOX Game Studios banner, State of Decay 3 will also be available through Game Pass.