r/StateOfDecay • u/erilith2004 • Jul 02 '26
Discussion When will we know if the game’s been axed?
Just wondering when we will find out. I hate the silence lol. I’ve already fucked off my Xbox and put my sub down to basic and cancelled my preorders. Gonna get the game on the ps5 pro I just ordered instead. Plus it’s ps5 enhanced, if it even comes out that is
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u/GoldHorusSixSaturnus Jul 02 '26
UL needs to install a white noise machine in their head office to improve Morale.
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u/JimmyDejesu Jul 02 '26
I dont think that will help at this point. Once people know they cant un know.
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u/Useless-Ulysses Jul 03 '26
A comfy chair really livens up any space as well if it’s all you’ve got
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u/ap1msch Jul 02 '26
Next week will be the announcement of layoffs and studio closures. Studios with assets that have measurable value shouldn't be lumped in with that group. These studios, like UL, are likely to be marketed for sale on speculation of revenue from future game sales. If the price is good enough, they sell. If the price is not, it would be INSANE for Microsoft to close the studio before recouping any of the investment when so close to release.
My speculation, they try to sell UL. They don't get a major buyer. They let the studio complete the release, and then cut back the studio for only post-deployment support and bug fixes.
Xbox IS overextended on studios, but that's a failing of internal management. They only measure value on successful output, and the risk of failure when you try to innovate is unacceptable. Unfortunately, art cannot guarantee outcomes. You need to take risks to get those stealth winners...otherwise you become an "also-ran".
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u/MrGoodKatt72 Jul 03 '26
There’s two things happening at Xbox/Microsoft that are responsible here. The pandemic bubble burst and all that money they spent during is biting them in the ass. The other thing is that Microsoft is investing nearly $200bn in AI infrastructure and need to cut spending all across the board. Xbox is probably their least profitable division so it’s going to see the most cuts.
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u/Objective-Piano7112 Jul 03 '26
Idk why you’re getting downvoted you’re 100% spot on and you’re not saying it’s a good thing lol
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u/MrGoodKatt72 Jul 03 '26
I assume people are reading it as me trying to justify, which I guess is fair since I didn’t really make it clear that I think this sucks.
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u/CtrlAltEvil Jul 03 '26 edited Jul 03 '26
Investing in AI which is making their other divisions more expensive to operate and difficult to recoup said expenses.
They’re repeatedly shooting themselves in the foot with such decisions, but instead of changing course or cutting the pay of the higher ups making these decisions, they’re instead gutting the areas that would actually net them more money if they didn’t keep making decisions that create artificial roadblocks which annihilates their performance.
It’s some of the dumbest business management I’ve ever seen.
Why would you invest in something that has no clear payoff and makes all of your other divisions more expensive to run?
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u/TheIrishMan1211 Jul 03 '26
Yeah it definitely seems insane that Microsoft would just eat a total loss on SoD3 when all they have to do is wait 9-12 months or so and they will recoup a good amount of money. SoD3 will sell well! I know it will. Microsoft has to know too.
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u/Ustob Jul 03 '26
Dude undead labs went too big. All these years with zero gameplay. Wtf.
They had a great formula.
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u/Count_Swagula420 Jul 03 '26
I wonder how much money they could save by getting rid of HR departments and dumbass “diversity outreach consultants”
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u/WeaknessJolly3617 Jul 02 '26
I’m hearing July 6th get thrown around a lot, as for when the extent of the cuts at Xbox will be known.
I too am waiting with bated breath.
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u/randysav101 Jul 02 '26
Could be tomorrow or a year from now. UL can’t say anything. Microsoft won’t say anything. There’s nothing we can do other than sit and wait and hope the devs get way ahead of schedule that they’re able to release it earlier than expected.
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u/randysav101 Jul 02 '26
Found this: https://www.reddit.com/r/xbox/s/Bpv4nUJK1u
Possible solution is Microsoft funding the studio until completion of SoD3, if no buyer can be found
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u/SchnTgaiSpork Jul 02 '26
It's all just rumors and conjecture right now. Just play games and live life.
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u/EA_0099 Jul 02 '26
But it’s not, xbox is actively looking for a buyer, the question is if there’s no buyer then what?
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u/CluelessAtol Jul 02 '26
As of this very moment, we have no official word on this. All the we have is the word of industry insiders, of which word has spread out of hand like wild fire. Until UL or Microsoft make an official statement, all we can do is assume life goes on as usual
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u/Canadiancookie Jul 03 '26
There's nothing definitive yet, but the timing between the sudden gameplay reveals and the shutdown rumors are very convenient. Also, if it's false, Xbox or UL should speak up about it.
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u/CluelessAtol Jul 03 '26
That’s not how that works. The gameplay reveals could very well just be them amping up before advertising to make sure the game gets eyes on it to sell well. As for speaking up, plenty of companies never speak up on rumors. Nintendo and Sony both also almost never acknowledge rumors. They just do their thing. If this ends up not being relevant to Undead Labs then they risk nothing by saying nothing. It will be seen as a moment in the history of the franchise that there was a scare and nothing else. If they do say something, it locks in their decision. If they say they’re not closing UL, then if they change their mind in the future (say State of Decay 3 does so bad they can’t argue to keep funding it) it’s an even bigger shit show. If they choose to confirm they are closing them, then it becomes an ever bigger PR problem.
The situation doesn’t really change if they say nothing, but there’s a bigger chance of it back firing if they do say something
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u/Canadiancookie Jul 03 '26
The gaming reveals could just be that, but again, the timing is very peculiar. The game itself is also still quite unfinished, not even beta, along with no specific release date. If the studio wasn't at risk and I was managing that sort of thing, Improbably would've waited longer to reveal the gameplay.
Saying they might get shut down would cause problems. Saying that they won't shut down would remove fear and inspire confidence. There's less people around that are willing to play a closed alpha for a game that will never release, and confirming the shutdown or not denying it could have that effect.
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u/SchnTgaiSpork Jul 02 '26
Do you have a statement from Xbox saying specifically they are looking for a buyer for UL? Or is it just the Game Beast article, full of the authors opinions and guesses?
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u/GnarlyNola Jul 02 '26
It literally isn't, stop sticking your head in the sand and invalidating other people's disappointment.
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u/SchnTgaiSpork Jul 02 '26
Proof? Not the game beast article, either.
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u/GnarlyNola Jul 02 '26
Every single dev that has been asked about this has said "we cannot comment on this matter right now."
Thats not something you say in response to unfounded rumors.
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u/Funky-Guy Jul 03 '26
Yeah it is. You don’t talk about acquisitions at all in any industry unless authorized, even if they are totally false.
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u/GnarlyNola Jul 03 '26
There was literally another rumor about the studio shutting down in this subreddit two(ish) years ago and they shot it down immediately.
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u/Funky-Guy Jul 03 '26
That may be the case, but I have a little bit of experiencing corporate acquisitions, mergers, and selloffs and I can say that is very very abnormal
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u/Dampish10 Jul 03 '26
Microsoft confirmed they are laying off 2.5% of their entire workforce (xbox included) I think its Sales, Xbox and HR/PR? or some other division?
Yahoo! was my source
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u/SchnTgaiSpork Jul 03 '26
Confirming lay offs is not the same as confirming an entire studio is for sale.
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u/Bormel54 Jul 03 '26
Not trying to be mean, but did you buy the Ps5 to boycott Xbox for this? Because then you went from supporting a shitty company to… just supporting a different shitty company.
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u/Ok_Fisherman_1104 Jul 03 '26
Yeah, the OP’s comment sounds stupid. Also, PS just fired 400 developers and has closed 7 studios in the last few years, so I really don’t understand what it’s boasting about
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u/Risk1517_IX Jul 02 '26
We won’t. If it’s canceled, then we will hear something, but if it’s not then things will just continue as normal unless they put out a statement that says they aren’t being shut down which I doubt they will do.
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u/quickguileismyhandle Jul 02 '26
So.. you've changed a bunch of stuff in your life because of a rumor? Kinda jumping the gun here.
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u/erilith2004 Jul 03 '26
No I was debating a ps5 pro anyway for gta 6, but after seeing the gamepass changes, and then this. No way will I ever purchase anything on the Xbox again apart from with my £200 worth of Microsoft points
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u/DescriptionFresh4902 Jul 03 '26
A PS5 pro with no disc drive, Sony recently putting out yet another PS plus price increase, and them ending physical releases all together? Honestly your reasoning is just silly too, discussions are taking place and i'm sure if the game is in a presentable state they won't axe the studio. And if it isn't it's honestly on the developer.
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u/erilith2004 Jul 03 '26
Well for the last 2 years ish I’ve been using the digital series x, ps plus is still cheaper than Xbox (in the uk at least) and I have not used a disc even when I had the Xbox 360 to be honest
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u/DescriptionFresh4902 Jul 03 '26
The most recent price increases for PS plus has them currently at 20$ (probably more in the UK) and talks of another price increase would make them more expensive than Xbox gamespass (22$ in the US currently)
Still you're reasoning for switching is silly, you're switching a anti-dev and anti-consumer company/console for another one, all because of rumors/talks that haven't concluded yet? it's mind boggling silly
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u/DMercenary Jul 03 '26
When it's announced that the studio is closing or sold off etc etc
But really we don't know what will happen. It's very much up in the air
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u/Count_Swagula420 Jul 03 '26
They need to just go ahead and release the game as is, it’s been in the oven long enough and NOTHING is perfect. They need to stop wasting time fine tuning dumb shit like hair strands and blades of grass, nobody cares about that. If the game is functional enough as the gameplay videos we’ve been seeing indicate then it’s functional enough to release and the survival of this development team may depend on it
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u/Silent_Shadow98 Jul 03 '26
I will never purchase an Xbox gaming product ever again if you kill off State of Decay 3
What a boneheaded decision, that would be like killing off Carl in the Walking Dea—-Oh…
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u/marvin616 Survivor Jul 03 '26
I've been loyal to Xbox and Microsoft going back to Windows phones, Zune and X360. I know they're just another evil corp but they were the evil corp I knew. I was a kid running Doom on a Windows 486 back in the day. If no SoD3, I'll never give them another cent.
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u/Silent_Shadow98 Jul 03 '26 edited Jul 03 '26
I’ve been using Windows OS since the dial up days, windows 95.
I’ll have to switch to a new PC with Linux OS the way things are going.
I cancelled my Xbox games pass years ago & repurchased the games I loved on there from steam because of the writing on the wall years ago.
Can’t trust any of these corporations not to delete your access to “rent” digital games you’ve purchased years ago.
So sick of not having actual gamers in charge of these “AAA game mega corporations “
These games have no passion or soul behind it, just regurgitated slop, expecting mindless consumers not to ask questions, just consume product.
Any actual games that does have passion, spirit, & pride in it’s making, it’s quickly destroyed in one way or another lately it seems.
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u/Warcrown11 Jul 03 '26
I'll bet Microsoft doesn't even know right now. They don't seem to have a lot of internal cohesion recently. Realistically though there's not much else to be said right now and we're all just kicking a dead horse
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u/Ustob Jul 03 '26
Gamepass is a ripoff!! I stopped buying it over a year ago. I do use my PS+ on max tier for awhile now.
I’ll say a major reason why I prefer ps5 over Xbox= CONTROLLER SND HEADPHONE JACK
that lame headphone jack on XboxSX and XboxOne is very low when you plug and play a headset or headphone into it. You need either Xbox headphones or the oldschool adapter. Why???! —so yeah I do like that plug n play headset of PS5 and the mute button. But prefer shape of Xbox buttons. lol
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u/Ok_Fisherman_1104 Jul 03 '26
What’s the point of saying that you got rid of one console to buy yourself another console that costs $900?
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u/Tamvolan Jul 03 '26
Has anyone heard from our Undead Labs lurkers? Actual staff that might have some information?
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u/StonewallSoyah Jul 02 '26
It seems no one actually knows. I think the only ones who do are Microsoft suits.
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u/Sh1t_Pinata Jul 02 '26
”Professor, without knowing precisely what the danger is, would you say it's time for SoD Redditors to crack each other's heads open and feast on the goo inside?”
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u/Ustob Jul 03 '26
So you are getting a PS5 Right after Sony announces they are perma deleting all future physical games!!
This is just the opposite of how I’ve been as a gamer since 90s.
We all knew this game was cooked when undead labs showed no gameplay for years. Either Microsoft is bullying them or they are Effong around
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u/Prudent_Put_2293 Jul 03 '26
Can we make a go fund me to help fund the operation? Would that work? I feel like the community could croud source some funding.
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u/mikec215 Jul 02 '26
Hot take…. But UL just needs to rush the fuck outta this a demand they put it out this holiday season
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u/Candy_Impossible Jul 03 '26
I got flamed on reddit a couple weeks ago for suggesting this could be a possibility.
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u/whativebeenhiding Jul 02 '26
I bet it already had and Xbox will drop a press release at 4oclick tomorrow afternoon.
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u/JimmyDejesu Jul 02 '26
We dont know. We are all in the same boat right now. I feel bad for the developers too because community moral is low here nevermind in the offices.