{"id":2031034,"date":"2026-07-07T11:50:15","date_gmt":"2026-07-07T08:50:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2031034"},"modified":"2026-07-07T11:50:15","modified_gmt":"2026-07-07T08:50:15","slug":"state-of-decay-3-may-no-longer-launch-into-game-pass-now-that-microsoft-is-letting-developer-undead-labs-go","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2031034","title":{"rendered":"State of Decay 3 may no longer launch into Game Pass, now that Microsoft is letting developer Undead Labs go"},"content":{"rendered":"<article class=\"article \" data-ads=\"true\" data-article-type=\"news\" data-article-group=\"news\" data-paywalled=\"false\" data-premium=\"false\" data-sponsored=\"false\" data-type=\"article\">\n<header class=\"article_header\" data-component=\"article-header\">\n<div class=\"breadcrumbs\">\n<nav class=\"nav_breadcrumbs\" data-component=\"nav-breadcrumbs\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\">\n<ul class=\"nav-links\">\n<li>\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/\" data-active=\"false\"><br \/>\n                      Home<br \/>\n                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li>\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/news\" data-active=\"false\"><br \/>\n                      News<br \/>\n                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li>\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/games\/state-of-decay-3\" data-active=\"false\"><br \/>\n                      State of Decay 3<br \/>\n                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/nav><\/div>\n<div class=\"headline_details\" id=\"main-content\">\n<h1 class=\"title\">State of Decay 3 may no longer launch into Game Pass, now that Microsoft is letting developer Undead Labs go<\/h1>\n<p class=\"strapline\">Robbed zombie.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"headline_asset\">\n<figure class=\"headline_image_wrapper\">\n<p>        <img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"headline_image\" src=\"https:\/\/assetsio.gnwcdn.com\/Image-from-State-of-Decay-3-showing-a-male-character-with-a-crossbow-and-a-backpack.jpg?width=570&amp;quality=85&amp;format=jpg&amp;dpr=3&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"Image from State of Decay 3 showing a male character with a crossbow and a backpack\" loading=\"eager\" data-uri=\"Image-from-State-of-Decay-3-showing-a-male-character-with-a-crossbow-and-a-backpack.jpg\" data-lightbox width=\"570\" height=\"324\"><figcaption>\n          <span class=\"attribution\">Image credit: <cite>Undead Labs<\/cite><\/span><br \/>\n        <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"metadata\">\n<div class=\"avatar\">\n<p>    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Sherif Saed avatar\" src=\"https:\/\/assetsio.gnwcdn.com\/IMG_1950_Uy1XomJ.JPG?width=2048&amp;height=2048&amp;fit=bounds&amp;quality=85&amp;format=jpg&amp;auto=webp\" style=\"aspect-ratio: 1\" width=\"1638\" height=\"1346\"><\/p>\n<p>  <img alt=\"Sherif Saed avatar\" data-autosize=\"crop_lossy\" data-uri=\"IMG_1950_Uy1XomJ.JPG\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"aspect-ratio: 1\" width=\"1638\" height=\"1346\">\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"text\">\n<div class=\"byline\">\n                  <span class=\"article_type\" data-slug=\"news\"><br \/>\n                    News<br \/>\n                  <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"by\">by<\/span> <span class=\"author\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/authors\/sherif-saed\">Sherif Saed<\/a><\/span>                    <span class=\"job_title\"><br \/>\n                      Senior Contributor<br \/>\n                    <\/span>\n            <\/div>\n<div class=\"published_at\">\nPublished on <time datetime=\"2026-07-07T11:50:15+00:00\">July 7, 2026<\/time>              <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"mypop-header-wrapper\">\n<p><button class=\"mypop-button button wide\" data-state=\"follow\" data-type=\"tag\" data-uuid=\"20039ba6-ace9-4a98-8b00-69869ab6515b\" data-name=\"State of Decay 3\" data-follow-text=\"Follow State of Decay 3\" data-unfollow-text=\"Following State of Decay 3\" data-aria-follow-text=\"Follow State of Decay 3\" data-aria-unfollow-text=\"Following State of Decay 3\" data-popup=\"true\" data-force-login=\"true\" aria-label=\"Follow State of Decay 3\" title=\"Follow State of Decay 3\"><br \/>\n  Follow State of Decay 3<br \/>\n<\/button>          <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"article_body\" data-component=\"article-content\">\n<div class=\"article_body_content article-styling\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/games\/state-of-decay-3\">State of Decay 3<\/a>, the once first-party Xbox game, may not launch into Game Pass after all. The game&#8217;s developer, Undead Labs, is among the studios Microsoft is parting with following its decision to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/microsoft-xbox-layoffs-2026-double-fine-compulsion-ninja-theory\">lay off 3200 workers from across the Xbox division<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Microsoft revealed that it found a buyer for Undead Labs, and will continue to fund the game until it&#8217;s released. However, one detail that was not mentioned in the initial announcement is that the agreement frees the game from its obligation to &#8220;any Xbox-controlling terms,&#8221; according to a report by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gamefile.news\/p\/xbox-to-cut-20-of-workforce-plans\">Game File<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>This means State of Decay 3 may no longer be released on Game Pass. That announcement, of course, would have to be made by the studio&#8217;s new owner. Speaking of which, the same report says the identity of Undead Labs&#8217; new owner will be revealed later this summer.<\/p>\n<p>Like all first-party Xbox games, State of Decay 3&#8217;s trailers and news updates have always come with the assurance that the game would launch on Game Pass on day one. This includes <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/state-of-decay-3-releases-2027-seven-years-after-it-was-first-announced\">June&#8217;s gameplay reveal<\/a>, which was part of Xbox&#8217;s Game Showcase. This doesn&#8217;t necessarily preclude the game from launching into Game Pass, but that would require Xbox to make a separate deal with Undead Labs&#8217; new owner.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"injection_placeholder\" data-position=\"1\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p>State of Decay 3 has had a long development cycle. It was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/state-of-decay-3-announced\">initially announced in 2020<\/a>, but development work <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/state-of-decay-3-reveal-trailer-wasnt-reflective-of-actual-game-says-studio-head\">didn&#8217;t begin in earnest until much later<\/a>. The game is set for release in 2027 on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X\/S.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"preferred-source\" data-component=\"preferred-source\">\nLove Eurogamer.net? Make us a <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\">Preferred Source on Google<\/a> and catch more of our coverage in your feeds.  <\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"article_body\" data-component=\"article-content\">\n<div class=\"article_body_content article-styling\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/games\/state-of-decay-3\">State of Decay 3<\/a>, the once first-party Xbox game, may not launch into Game Pass after all. The game&#8217;s developer, Undead Labs, is among the studios Microsoft is parting with following its decision to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/microsoft-xbox-layoffs-2026-double-fine-compulsion-ninja-theory\">lay off 3200 workers from across the Xbox division<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Microsoft revealed that it found a buyer for Undead Labs, and will continue to fund the game until it&#8217;s released. However, one detail that was not mentioned in the initial announcement is that the agreement frees the game from its obligation to &#8220;any Xbox-controlling terms,&#8221; according to a report by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gamefile.news\/p\/xbox-to-cut-20-of-workforce-plans\">Game File<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>This means State of Decay 3 may no longer be released on Game Pass. That announcement, of course, would have to be made by the studio&#8217;s new owner. Speaking of which, the same report says the identity of Undead Labs&#8217; new owner will be revealed later this summer.<\/p>\n<p>Like all first-party Xbox games, State of Decay 3&#8217;s trailers and news updates have always come with the assurance that the game would launch on Game Pass on day one. This includes <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/state-of-decay-3-releases-2027-seven-years-after-it-was-first-announced\">June&#8217;s gameplay reveal<\/a>, which was part of Xbox&#8217;s Game Showcase. This doesn&#8217;t necessarily preclude the game from launching into Game Pass, but that would require Xbox to make a separate deal with Undead Labs&#8217; new owner.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"injection_placeholder\" data-position=\"1\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p>State of Decay 3 has had a long development cycle. It was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/state-of-decay-3-announced\">initially announced in 2020<\/a>, but development work <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/state-of-decay-3-reveal-trailer-wasnt-reflective-of-actual-game-says-studio-head\">didn&#8217;t begin in earnest until much later<\/a>. The game is set for release in 2027 on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X\/S.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Home News State of Decay 3 State of Decay 3 may no longer launch into Game Pass, now that Microsoft is letting developer Undead Labs go Robbed zombie. Image credit: Undead Labs News by Sherif Saed Senior Contributor Published on July 7, 2026 Follow State of Decay 3 State of Decay 3, the once first-party [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,253],"class_list":["post-2031034","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-eurogamer-net"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2031034","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2031034"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2031034\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2031034"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2031034"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2031034"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}