The dreaded Xbox layoffs have finally been confirmed, and they’re pretty brutal. While the restructuring may have been necessary from a business perspective, seeing people lose their jobs is never easy. There’s not much I can say other than hoping everyone affected is able to land on their feet.
One of the studios caught up in the restructuring is Undead Labs, the developer behind one of Xbox’s most anticipated upcoming games, State of Decay 3.
State of Decay 3 is actually Xbox’s most wishlisted game on Steam and currently sits among the platform’s top 30 most wishlisted titles. As part of Xbox’s restructuring, however, Undead Labs is reportedly being sold to a new owner. That’s certainly better than simply shutting the studio down altogether, which is Sony’s go-to strategy, but I can’t help feeling that Xbox has missed the mark with Undead Labs specifically.
Fans of Xbox Game Pass may also be disappointed by another reported detail. According to Game File, State of Decay 3 “will not obligate the game to any Xbox-controlling terms, such as having to be on Game Pass.“
While that doesn’t necessarily mean State of Decay 3 won’t launch on Game Pass, it does mean the new owner won’t be contractually required to put it there. Depending on who acquires the studio, that could have a significant impact on where and how the game is ultimately released.
As someone who grew up playing Call of Duty Zombies, I’ve always been a fan of zombie games, including the previous State of Decay titles. State of Decay 3 was certainly one of the Xbox games I was looking forward to the most.
While I’m glad the studio will still exist and, hopefully, get to ship the game, I can’t help but feel Xbox has missed a huge opportunity here. Out of Compulsion Games, Double Fine, Ninja Theory, and Undead Labs, all of which are affected by the restructuring, Undead Labs was the studio that had the most promise, at least to me. Knowing it likely won’t be part of Xbox going forward just feels like a massive missed opportunity.
Maybe that’s just me, though. Let me know what you think in the comments, and as always, be sure to take part in our poll below:
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