Survivors, start stocking up on supplies because you’re going to want to be ready. Closed beta playtests for State of Decay 3 are on the way before the end of 2026, giving the community its biggest hands-on look yet at the next chapter of the State of Decay series ahead of our 2027 launch.

Our team is building on a playtesting program that kicked off in April 2026, when we opened sign-ups for the first wave of alpha testing. That round was intentionally small, but it gave us our first real read on how players interact with the systems in the wild, from combat against multiple freaks to the world’s lighting, weather, and character customization.

“We’re going to be expanding our alpha and then closed beta to more players over time, this is our largest map ever and with untethered multiplayer, we really need to take the opportunities to stress-test and fine-tune,” said Kevin Patzelt, Creative Director at Undead Labs. “If you don’t get access right away, rest assured there will be more opportunities throughout the year for players familiar and brand new to the series.”

That openness has been core to the series since day one. We have built our development process around a simple idea: Community is Survival. Every playtest wave feeds directly back into the game’s development, from balancing co-op combat encounters to fine-tuning how the game’s new permadeath systems ripple through a community of survivors.

Community members who want a shot at joining future playtests can register now at playtest.stateofdecay.com, and follow us at stateofdecay.com and our social channels. If you’ve already signed up during the Alpha period, we still have you on the list for a chance to get into future playtests.

State of Decay 3 is available to wishlist now, will be available on Xbox Series X|S, PC, and PlayStation 5.