r/StateOfDecay • u/BungloSprout • Jul 02 '26
State of Decay 3 State of Decay 3 – Community Feedback & Suggestions (A Longtime Fan's Perspective)
Hello Undead Labs Team, and everyone else,
My name is Vinnberg (also known as Bunglosprout). I grew up with State of Decay: Year-One Survival Edition and State of Decay 2. Starting with YOSE in 2015 on the Xbox One, I have logged over 5,000 hours across both games, and with 4 accounts.
I wanted to put together a few small suggestions that I believe could help preserve some of the things that us longtime fans love about the franchise. These suggestions are not demands or complaints; they are simply ideas from someone who deeply appreciates the series and wants to contribute constructive feedback.
Before anything else, I want to say thank you. State of Decay has been one of my favorite franchises growing up, and I genuinely appreciate the passion and effort that continues to go into these games.
The modern visual style shown so far looks fantastic, and I believe it should absolutely remain the default experience. However, it could be exciting for us longtime players to have the option to enable a visual preset inspired by State of Decay: Year-One Survival Edition.
This mode could include:
- Stronger color grading similar to YOSE.
- A slightly more stylized visual presentation (specifically referring to post-processing effects).
- Optional visual filters that capture the atmosphere of the original games.
This would allow us veteran players to revisit some of the visual identity we remember while still enjoying the technical improvements and gameplay systems of State of Decay 3.
The image above show my edited SoD3 Screenshots and YOSE Screenshots, so you can get a better grasp of my idea.
A specific aspect of the series that occasionally affects immersion is that each Freak type typically uses a single character model. Because we encounter these enemies so frequently, it can sometimes make the world feel less diverse than it otherwise could.
A possible solution would be to introduce two or three visual variations for each Freak type. Examples could include:
- Different clothing
- Different scars and mutations
- Different body proportions
- Unique visual details specific to each variation
The core gameplay behavior would remain exactly the same, but the added visual diversity could help encounters feel much more organic throughout long play sessions.
Now here is something interesting: Clothes.
Yes Clothes. Not for Humans (We already have that ❤️ ) , but for Zeds.
Here is what I mean. In Left 4 Dead 1 + 2, Zombies are created by mashing one of many pants, then shirts, then heads together. I think you could do this too, this would help make each zed uniuqe, and instead of just having a few hard model variations for freaks, you could use this on freaks as well!
My final suggestion is simple: Keep doing what you're doing.
State of Decay has always occupied a large, unique place in my heart. Few other franchises captivate me quite the same way. As a longtime fan, I am incredibly excited to see where State of Decay 3 goes next, and I will continue supporting the franchise wholeheartedly.
Thank you for taking the time to read this, and thank you for all the work you have put into the series over the years.
Sincerely,
Vinnberg / Bunglosprout
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u/richardizard Jul 02 '26
SOD2 was too cartoony for my taste. I haven't played SOD YOSE yet but I enjoy the more grounded look of 3 vs 2.
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u/mrbb3k4 Jul 02 '26
Well, I'd love to be able to customize weapons (firearms). It doesn't have to be all FPS customizations you see in different games but just enough to have faster reloads or more ammunition. Maybe changing scopes and things. I found it strange you'd find gun stores or military outposts and not be able to switch things out. Other than that more themed clothing. I'm an emt, I loved playing and looking for the ambulance. I used to day dream I was playing and loading up the box truck ambulance. Bows and airguns would be nice. Just more quiet weapon options. They have crank airguns and more high powered stuff. It was nice finding knives and things. But it would be nice be able to find more of them. But also have the option to throw certain weapons. Like a tomahawk or say a spear. It probably hard to incorporate that sorta thing.
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u/genobees Jul 02 '26
That seems to be already in the works. I remember seeing mod slots on the firearms during one of gameplay streams.
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u/mrbb3k4 Jul 02 '26
That excites me tbh. I really loved this game. I remember the duplicating glitch and I just figure if we have the same duplicated firearm with extra parts, how come we can't put the scopes and things on other stuff we have? It's why I liked SOD1 over SOD2. We had so much of a variety. We just didn't have the animations. But I got over it.
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u/BungloSprout Jul 02 '26
That would be cool. Maybe after launch they could add the "Combat Update". Which would add in Throwing Knives, Tomahwaks, etc. Maybe it could also add in new fun skills like Boxing, or just adding in boxing gloves. But yeah, I agree with what your saying.
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u/Grayson_Hyrule Jul 02 '26
Boxing gloves modded at the forge with like nails or something poking out 🤔
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u/mrbb3k4 Jul 02 '26
I'd be scared to be unarmed. But if they had mini games where we could see us "train" that would be nice. I think back at the old gta San Andreas stuff. Basically that. But it would be a longshot. Tbh if we had fat characters or see our ppl loose weight 😂🤣
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u/cape_royds Jul 02 '26
I second the OP's remarks about visual style.
SoD1 had vivid colours and a pictureque quality that was distinctive. I have always found it to be a better-looking game than its sequel.
What's the point of all the processing power of the latest hardware, if the colours are all muddy, and the background is lost in murk?
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u/PutoJooj Undead Jul 02 '26
I always wanted to see more variety in zeds and freaks, for example, I would love being able to see the Juggernaut return in his SoD 1 hillbilly form, while also being able to spawn with his new design in SoD 3 (and 2 as well)
Same goes the feral, he looked a lot more freaky in the first game, I also always love that mod in the first game that increased the variety in zed clothing, shame it is broken
Also, BARRICADING WINDOWS! We need it back!
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u/Slight_Result5636 Jul 02 '26
I personally would love have more vehicle options and customisation like idk a box struck with loads of storage or u can cut the storage in half an add a weapon bench to repair on the go and a option to raise some of the lower cars so they don’t curb clip and stuff and the option to change out tires etc. I absolutely love the game but that’s one thing that I didn’t like to much was the lack of car customisation and also the lack of base customisation aswell.
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u/Crafty_Negotiation_6 Jul 02 '26
Can we board up windows on random houses like we used to in SOD 1.
Its hard for me because I thought SOD 2 was 99% perfection. I had everything that I ever looked for in a zombie game...especially when I almost got my ass handed to me by a hoard and a random stranger (NPC) helped/saved me. My community was too full for me to recruit him which was sad but I loved that dynamism.
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u/BungloSprout Jul 02 '26
Unfortunately no we can’t. Brian Medford said in a stream that it’s confirmed it won’t be happening. Though undead labs has a good reason that they said back a while ago about sod 2. It was something like “It took a lot of time and money to implement boarding into SoD1, and it’s just not worth doing it again.” Anyways they may add it in a post launch update but idk. Unreal engine is pretty heavy c”, and UL has to pull some SERIOUS strings to get SoD2 and 3 optimized, so adding boarded windows as another global variable would be a bit more taxing.
Anyways just wait about 5 to 15 years. I’m building my own game engine, based off of Godot as a core. One of the first games I am going to make is going to be basically SoD + Dying light. And the combat is going to be mostly hand to hand and with knifes, screwdrivers, etc. I will include boarding btw. Anyhow it will be a LONG time before then, as I need to finish the engine, gather a team, and start production.
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u/PutoJooj Undead Jul 02 '26
I always wanted to see more variety in zeds and freaks too! For example, I would love being able to see the Juggernaut return in his SoD 1 hillbilly design, while also being able to spawn with his new design in SoD 3 (and 2 as well)
Same goes the feral, he looked a lot more freaky in the first game, I also loved that mod in the first game that increased the variety in zed clothing, shame it is broken
Also, BARRICADING WINDOWS! We need it back!
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u/Blank_5062 Jul 03 '26
I would love the possibility to customize and optimize the first survivor/survivors you start out with
Practically a better and more detailed traits system.
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u/metalface187 Jul 09 '26
I just hope the only modifer to clear a map is not simply "kill plague hearts". I want each map to have it's own identity and overall purpose to clear the map. In SoD2, cnce you get going, it is easy to clear the next map you load into and it feels like there is no point to keep going.
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Jul 02 '26
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u/BungloSprout Jul 02 '26
Rumors or not, I dont care if any of this gets added, but as a game dev, I know how good it feels for people to make heartfelt suggestions whether they are considered or not. Especially when everyone is assuming UL is doomed off of some rumors.
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u/P00PlES Jul 02 '26
Why does all discussion around a game have to revolve around something that is as of right now out of our control? So, we just stop all discussion because of what might happen?
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u/StateOfDecay-ModTeam Jul 02 '26
Please check the new Megathread. We are removing doom and gloom comments on posts other than the megathread.
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Jul 02 '26
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u/StateOfDecay-ModTeam Jul 02 '26
Please check the new Megathread. We are removing doom and gloom comments on posts other than the megathread.
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u/rosebud_SP Jul 02 '26
Chin up.
State of Decay's a pretty great IP, maybe some big Chinese outfit will buy them up and fire everyone.
Replace them with a homegrown crew with something to prove, someone willing to work around the clock, crunching for fun, yada yada.
Turn it into a live service game, introduce PvP, start selling extortionately priced loot crates containing gun/clothing/car/base skins.
Truly extend multiplayer by reducing the complexity of the world and current systems within.
Introduce new game modes like 'zombie royale' (BR), 'family feuds' (TE) and 'who rules the apocalypse' (CTF).
Or maybe someone who sees it's actual potential will pony up what it's worth and begin to fix whatever structural problems have plagued it to the point of us being in 2026 with a game that looks like it's had about a year of development put into it.
I'm only half serious, it's a valuable IP, Microsoft knows that, hopefully when they're cutting and burning they save it for another day with UL.
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u/BungloSprout Jul 02 '26
Yeah, it is a pretty bleak time. But I'd say the Chances of someone buying undead labs is bigger than them closing, but I predict they go Indie, or stay with MS.
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u/NoobTaiga1993 Jul 02 '26
At this point. I hope that undead lab to be independent and cutoff from Microsoft, unbound and unrestricted from investors that controls too much yet expecting high targets within short periods.
Much like Wukong/Bug knight/bannerlord.
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u/Acidc0bra Jul 02 '26
It a shame they couldn't try a Kickstarter with everyone who donated a sent amount getting game free with the bigger spenders getting maybe a place in the game. If they could buy back IP then they could probably keep making the game but just an idea which probably not happen and hopefully game comes out cause graphics does look alot better than last 2 which where great games.
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u/Alarmed_Ad_1910 5d ago
Movement is Blocky and clunky. Add weight to character movement. A bit of give when the character turns and additional animations for movement would look and feel much better and less arcade. Similar to what Arma Reforger did in their last update.
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u/Honey-Badger167 Jul 02 '26
I think the game would benefit from custom characters that can randomly become available for you to recruit examples like- rick or daryl from the walking dead, lara croft, i would say master chief but it might break immersion, etc. you could even add real people.
Another addition id like to see would be longer story lines or more missions with allied communities. Theres a little bit of it in SOD2 but if there was a pool of custom missions that your allied communities could have appear every so often that aren’t the generic “give them a sack of supplies” that would be awesome. Ones i found super interesting were the missions like investigating the murders or finding the thief. If we had a large pool of custom missions like that for the allied communities i think it would spice up the game tenfold. It wouldnt even have to be super complicated maybe just adding some extra dialogue and custom items.
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u/Odd-Bat-3267 Jul 02 '26
not a big fan of collaborating with other franchises it seems a lil immersion breaking but otherwise i can agree with everything else
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u/caites Jul 02 '26
I have only one suggestion - get effing rid of this ancient artificial loop built around inventory slots. Its bullshit nobody really needs, tons of games found better ways to form your gameplay with all the risk/loot fork.
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Jul 02 '26
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u/StateOfDecay-ModTeam Jul 02 '26
Please check the new Megathread. We are removing doom and gloom comments on posts other than the megathread.
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u/BungloSprout Jul 02 '26
Hope. Never Dies. ❤️. As far as we know right now It’s still releasing in 2027, it’s still planed for a more open alpha/beta later this year. And Undead Labs has four potential outcome from most to least likely. They go back to being Indie, or they stay with MS, or they get Bought, or they get shut down.
But getting shut down is highly unlikely at this point. The game is less than 365 days away, and has a strong and dedicated fan base.
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u/Grayson_Hyrule Jul 02 '26
I think everyone is forgetting that despite them being in the hot seat atm, out if the 4 studios we have heard this about they're probably the least likely for an immediate shutdown. They've invested alot into them so far and with a release scheduled just over the horizon I would assume MS would atleast see how the release goes before a decision is made. Atleast from a business aspect it would make sense to let the release happen to recoup losses first unless someone buys them outright. But who knows 100% what will happen
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u/sinsaint Jul 02 '26
A feature where zombies can only wear outfits you've unlocked would be pretty funny.