State of Decay 3 was just a word document at its 2020 reveal, Undead Labs admits

Remember that State of Decay 3 reveal trailer from July 2020? The one with the zombie deer stalking through a wintery forest? Turns out there was no game behind it, not even close.

“Four or Five People” and a Word document

In a recent interview with Sunny Games, Undead Labs studio head Phillip Holt pulled back the curtain on just how bare-bones things were at the time of that CG announcement trailer.

“There really wasn’t a game or a game team when we were working on that trailer; it was so early,” Holt said. “There were four or five people. You know, the game was in a Word document.”

State of Decay 3 interview

The trailer itself was handled entirely by Blur Studio and was fully pre-rendered, no in-engine footage, no gameplay, nothing. Just a vision of what State of Decay 3 might be.

Zombie Animals aren’t happening

As for that zombie deer? Don’t get attached. Holt confirmed the studio has since moved away from the concept of zombie animals entirely, describing it as an early idea that didn’t survive the full development process.

It’s a blow for fans who were genuinely excited by the prospect, but perhaps not a surprise given how conceptual the whole reveal clearly was.

The interview came alongside Undead Labs opening alpha playtest sign-ups for State of Decay 3, which is the most concrete sign of life the game has shown in years. After a long stretch of silence, it at least feels like the studio is ready to start talking again.

Whether we’ll see actual gameplay at Xbox’s Summer Game Fest 2026 showcase remains to be seen, but at this point, anything would be welcome.

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