Alpha Tests Arrive in May
Six years after its reveal and following long stretches of radio silence, State of Decay 3 is finally putting something playable in front of fans. Undead Labs has opened sign-ups for May alpha tests, marking the series’ first public hands-on since the sequel’s 2018 follow-up and a rare chance to gauge where the new entry is headed.
That’s a meaningful step for a project that’s largely lived on cinematic teasers. Instead of another mood trailer, the studio is inviting players to try an early build. It’s not a release date, but it is progress you can feel—controller in hand, scav pack on back.
What Undead Labs Is Promising
In an announcement video, State of Decay co-creator Brant Fitzgerald sketched out what the alpha will cover without giving the whole thing away. “I’m not going to spoil the surprise for you, but I can say that it will feature four-player co-op, some new base-building and resource strategies, and a whole lot of combat,” he said. The pitch sticks close to the series’ survival roots while signaling systems-level changes under the hood.
Fitzgerald also leaned into the fantasy the franchise built its name on. “If scavenging supplies in the middle of a zombie outbreak sounds fun to you, then grab your ruck, pack some mags, and head over to our website to find more information and register for a chance to be included in the alpha.” That framing suggests the studio wants to highlight moment-to-moment risk alongside broader camp management.
For players, a small but clear checklist emerges from the teaser: cooperative play for up to four survivors, a refreshed approach to building and sustaining a base, and combat that aims to feel more central than ever. How those pieces interlock—especially how resource strategy shapes co-op decision-making—will be the big question this test can start to answer.