Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Gaming
  3. News

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

‘State of Decay 2’ spreads its infection to Xbox One and PC this May

By
State of Decay 2

The Xbox One already has the excellent-looking pirate adventure game Sea of Thieves coming later in March, but Microsoft’s console will be getting another impressive console exclusive just a short while later. State of Decay 2 hits Xbox One and PC on May 22, and it’s cheaper than you might expect.

Recommended Videos

The release date was revealed via IGN as part of the site’s month-long “IGN First” program, which will give us new details on the game all through March.

A gameplay video was released alongside the announcement, showing off smooth third-person combat as well as a sampling of the disgusting zombies you will be fighting. Though somewhat similar in structure to Capcom’s Dead Rising series, there is much more emphasis on survival in State of Decay 2. You’ll have to manage resources at your settlements and gather survivors, but you won’t have to do so alone, as the game supports four-person online cooperative play. Each player will still maintain their own “personal community” of characters, but they’re free to drop into others’ games at any time.

State of Decay 2 will not feature one large map, but instead three separate maps — each is about the size of the original game’s map, and developer Undead Labs said this decision was made to avoid having déjà vu set in too quickly. As an added bonus, it will make it easier for the studio to add additional locations in the future, which should help to keep the game’s player count high.

State of Decay 2‘s standard version will set you back $30, while the “Ultimate Edition” will cost $50. This version of the game includes early access to State of Decay 2 as well free access to two pieces of DLC and the remastered State of Decay: Year One Survival Edition. The game was originally released as a digital game on the Xbox 360 in 2013.

When

State of Decay 2

 releases on May 22, it will be as an Xbox Play Anywhere title, so buying a digital copy for one platform gets you the other for free, complete with cross-save support. Undead Labs has also hinted at a Steam version, if you prefer to not use the Microsoft Store.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Gabe Gurwin
Gabe Gurwin
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…
2022’s Xbox and Bethesda Showcase is vital for Microsoft
Senua stares ahead wearing war paint.

On June 12, Microsoft will hold its second annual Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase. Following a series of delays and reports about development issues at Xbox studios, it is shaping up to be one of the most pivotal shows for Xbox ever.
Xbox had a strong showing in 2021 with critically acclaimed games like Forza Horizon 5, Age of Empires IV, and Halo Infinite, but has lost that positive momentum in the first half of this year. As debates rage over just how compelling Xbox’s 2022 lineup is now that Bethesda’s heavy hitters Starfield and Redfall have been delayed until 2023, Microsoft needs to prove why gamers should care about its platforms and services this year, and the Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase is the right place to do that.
First-party woes
The back half of 2022 is looking pretty dire for Microsoft in terms of first-party games it's directly developing or publishing. Originally, it seemed like Microsoft was relying on Bethesda to provide it with two blockbuster titles, but that strategy went out the window when those games were delayed. While Microsoft has announced plenty of games since the Xbox Series X's reveal in 2020, none of them are publicly dated to release this year. It's relying on third-party exclusives like Warhammer 40K: Darktide and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, the latter of which could have its release date impacted further by Russia's war on Ukraine.

This isn't a good situation for Xbox, so the Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase is the best place for the companies to reassure fans that first-party games are actually coming. So, what could possibly be in store? We know for sure that Redfall, Starfield, and Contraband won't release this year. State of Decay 3 and Perfect Dark also seems unlikely due to the reported development trouble both titles are facing. That said, other Microsoft titles could sneak in a 2022 release. To start, Grounded will likely leave early access this year. 
When you consider that Forza Horizon 5 wasn’t revealed until E3 2021 and managed to be one of the best games of the year, it seems likely, if unconfirmed, that Microsoft will put out the next mainline Forza Motorsport this year. The next entry in the series has been in development at Turn 10 for some time and is rumored to be beta testing.
As for its other first-party studios, it's possible that Senua's Sacrifice: Hellblade 2 or Avowed will actually manage to come out this year and fill the void left by Redfall and Starfield. Age of Empires IV and Deathloop could also strengthen the lineup if ported to Xbox consoles this year.
It's also possible that there are announced first-party games slated for this year, like the rumored non-combat RPG from Obsidian's Josh Sawyer, the leaked remaster of Goldeneye 007, or one of the many Xbox Game Studios Projects that were exposed via the Nvidia GeForce Now Leak last year. Xbox Game Studios Publishing could also help bolster the 2022 lineup if As Dusk Falls launches this year and they release some other unannounced games from second-party partners. If any of those guesses are true, this Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase is the place to confirm it. Microsoft can't afford to wait any longer to show us what's in store from them this year if it has anything at all.
Forza Motorsport - Official Announce Trailer
Other parties
If Microsoft is truly unable to provide that many compelling first-party exclusives this year -- which is a very real possibility -- then it will need to add some extremely noteworthy heavy-hitters to Xbox Game Pass on day one in the back half of 2022. In the 2021 conference, all but two games featured were to be included in Xbox Game Pass. Microsoft needs to repeat that this year, and it would certainly help if many of those games are launching in 2022. Managing to net some of this fall’s big titles like Saints Row, Sonic Frontiers, Gotham Knights, or Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 to be on the service day one would make the lack of exclusives and first-party games would sting less for Xbox fans.
The worst-case scenario for Microsoft here is having no compelling AAA games launch day one on Xbox Game Pass this fall, first-party or not. It might be able to fall back on Xbox Game Studios Publishing, which has partnered with developers outside of Xbox Game Studios to create Xbox-exclusive titles. If Microsoft is not able to provide anything compelling for this year across the board, 2022 could be one of the most disappointing first-party years for Microsoft since 2017.
Gotham Knights would be a very compelling Xbox Game Pass title in 2022. Image used with permission by copyright holder
Whether it’s with secret first- and second-party exclusives or some compelling Xbox Game Pass deals, this is a very important showcase for Xbox. It has spent years acquiring studios to bolster its exclusive lineup but still doesn’t have much in the way of palpable results to show for it. In a tweet after Redfall and Starfield's delay, Head of Xbox Phil Spencer tweeted "These decisions are hard on teams making the games & our fans. While I fully support giving teams time to release these great games when they are ready, we hear the feedback. Delivering quality & consistency is expected, we will continue to work to better meet those expectations." 
While Microsoft having that mindset in the future is appreciated, it could come at a real cost of there not being that many compelling games on the system this year. And if it’s bad, the Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase will leave us questioning if we can ever expect consistent results from Xbox. As such, Xbox Game Studios and Bethesda both need to come out strong during this showcase with lots of games. Not just ones for years to come, but for 2022 as well. 

Read more
The best zombie games for Xbox One
best zombie games for xbox one

Our cultural obsession with the undead is astounding. From classic George A. Romero films to the 100th season of AMC's The Walking Dead, zombies have infected almost every facet of our lives -- and video games are no exception. We've been looking for any excuse to kill, dismember, and humiliate the undead since the first Resident Evil blew the genre wide open. Below, we've compiled a list of the seven best zombie games currently available for Xbox One. Thankfully, most of these titles are compatible with the Xbox Series X/S and are available on PlayStation and PC.
See more

The best zombie games of all time
Everything we know about Resident Evil Village
The best upcoming Xbox Series X games

Read more
Ghostrunner 2 is coming to PS5, Xbox One and PC, but skipping last-gen
Promo art for Ghostrunner.

The 2020 action game Ghostrunner is officially getting a sequel. Ghostrunner 2 is currently in production for next-gen consoles and PC.

Ghostrunner is a fast-paced ninja game where players slash through enemies while traversing rooms with skills like wall running. The catch is that every attack is a one-hit kill, not unlike indie hit Katana Zero. That made for a puzzle-like action game that's about finding the correct route through a level.

Read more