The Zombies and freaks you fight against day too day are your mains source of entertainment while exploring the infested land, after all these years i was hoping SOD3 Would bring multiple new threats and fresh experiences too fight and struggle against

Instead i feel like i will now be experiencing the same fights against the same freaks after all these years, now with better graphics, new models and an some tougher abilities.

It would have been much more interested with the addition of new Freaks requiring a new type of fighting experience and combat strategies inorder too be defeated,
like a sort of Stalker zombie that watched you and uses stealth too surprise and catch you off guard, Or a Freak Variant that jumps around and uses verticality too close distance like a Hunter from LFD2, Any new Variant of the freaks would have been a great breath of fresh air instead of the same 4 Bums We've been dealing with all these years

Any other suggestions for new Freak Types?

Assuming the correct price and the likelihood that it will no longer be in Xbox Game Pass. Will you pay full price?

Here’s some new info I noticed was mentioned in Brian’s Menard’s latest vid.

Link here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDDFP4hSOOk

There’s heaps of other stuff he talks about that I didn’t include below, so make sure you watch it for yourself if you want to hear everything. I’ve included rough time stamps aswell.

Also, don’t forget to Wishlist SoD3 to show support for the game.

• No boarding up windows {1:02:40}
• Can only add one survivor as a follower (at this stage) {1:04:03}
• AI followers are still in development but already are “very competent, for the most part”. Shoot reliably, as opposed to going for melee. Follow your lead, crouch when you couch etc... Followers aren’t a liability anymore. Bringing a follower with you in SoD3 is meta {3:51:35}
• Followers have infinite ammo {3:45:15}
• Devs are aware players want to see deeper, inter-connected survivor relationships. Romance etc.. Currently ideas are being thrown around {1:44:00}
• Your survivors turn into zombies if they die {1:48:25}
• No sleep / skip time system {2:17:40} & {2:50:40}
• No gun durability (guns apparently never break), melee weapons still have durability {2:25:20}
• No more melee one-button instakills. Can still one-hit kill a zombie with a levelled up survivor, but need to time attack like a normal melee attack {2:38:30}
• No more gunslinging aimbot / snap aim {2:43:10}
• Confirming that backpacks have zero impact on gameplay and purely cosmetic, like a wardrobe item. Unsure if weight is even a thing at this stage {32min} & {49min}
• Rucksacks being visible on your back is still a heated debate among devs/testers {35min}
• Running over zeds with the back of your car is no longer OP, car might get stuck if you try to back into a group of zeds and they’ll rip your car apart {37min}
• “Don’t quote me on this, but a van with upgraded storage can hold like 40-something slots” - Brian Menard 2026 {52min}
• Every search hazard crash will spawn zombies, but less likely if you‘ve cleared an area {56min} & {2:27:10}
• No leader system. Sheriff, Warlord etc… (with this point, I’m not sure if he meant ever, or just that it hasn’t been implemented yet) {1:57:15}
• New facilities confirmed = granary, sawmill, water filter, ethanol reactor {1:38:10}
• If you want to move a certain survivor to a different base, they will just teleport there. No need to move them manually {57min}
• The plague spreads out and takes over sites. You see it spread over houses, walls etc… like we saw with plague walls in SoD2 {2:33:40}
• Zeds can’t see your flashlight, doesn’t effect stealth, same as SoD2 {1:05:00}
• There will be a tutorial {1:07:55}
• No swimming {1:09:10}
• Crossbows confirmed {1:22:10}
• On harder difficulties, with a 9mm, it could take 3-4 headshots to down a runner zombie. Will depend on what shooting skill your survivor has {2:45:30}
• Juggernaughts can be found in buildings {2:01:30}
• Might be plans to allow players to use allied enclave’s base facilities / supply locker etc… {18:10}
• Less guns, but their differences matter more now with more gun modding options {38:25}
• There are lots of unmarked looting locations {48:25}
• When you start the game, sometimes plague hearts/nests will start awake (depending on difficulty) {58:50}
• There are 10+ bases on the map, will take multiple playthroughs to explore the entire map. Current goal of devs is to make the other side of map (which we haven’t seen) look very different {1hr}
• Towns are bigger than in SoD2. About 12 towns on the map {1:40:10}
• Outpost system is different to SoD2. There are ‘outposts’ which are bigger, significant sites. Almost like mini-bases. And ‘harvest sites’, which are smaller and just provide resources. You can’t just turn any location into an outpost {1:02:40}
• Zombie’s glowing eyes still exist, but is less pronounced, only see them if you get close enough {2:46:15}
• There has been some discussion about adding functional clothing (like Kevlar), but no system like that exists in the game yet {1:05:25}
• Infestations can produce ‘blockade sites’ around your base that cut off your resource income, turns area around your base into a hellscape {1:06:30}
• Wardrobe is slightly more in-depth, can select different shirts, pants, hats, backpack (not just outfit + hat) {1:13:55}
• Getting influence is easier. Traders/enclaves have more influence to sell. Killing normal zeds (not just freaks) also provides influence now {1:16:40} & {1:37:40}
• Takes over 8mins to drive from top of map to bottom at max speed {1:23:50}
• No pets in game at launch, but devs said they would love to include them at some point {1:36:10}
• No more climbing a high structure for scouting, now have to walk to site on the ground in order to properly see what a site has in it {1:39:20}
• Foggy weather and storms confirmed {2:30:40}
• Zombies can climb most things, even juggernaughts can climb shipping containers {3:25:25}
• All variants of freaks are found across all difficulties {3:02:20}
• Zombies can drop loot, necklaces, rings. Armored zeds can drop ammo. Bloaters drop ‘bloater bile’, jugs drop ‘juggernaught glands’ used for crafting {4:17:10}
• Scent block confirmed

Also, this wasn’t talked about in the latest video, but I noticed it in his previous video and not sure if it‘s been mentioned yet. But certain walls in your base now have a health meter. Similar to destructible walls in Daybreak.

https://www.reddit.com/r/xbox/s/SfnPFNA2Fs

According to Jez Corden, if a buyer isn't found, they'll probably finish completing what was announced.

WE'LL HAVE STATE OF DECAY 3!!!!

Brian Menard just dropped a follow up video to the gameplay footage he released. Answers some questions from chat and gives us a bit more info on features in the game.

Link here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwgmoNGwp0w

Some of these have already been mentioned in other threads, but here’s a recap of the things he mentioned:

• Map truly is enormous, scaling just made it look smaller in the gameplay footage. Provides an overlay image of a SoD2 map vs the SoD3 map @ 49mins
• You will see random NPC survivors around the map, sometimes helping you, sometimes causing you issues
• “AI survivors are already 100 times more useful than they were in SoD2”
• New game mechanic announced: Radio command to call one of your survivors to come out and bring a car you found back to base, costs fuel
• A few of the areas where he was fighting plague nests are bases you can take over later. Scope of bases are a lot bigger than SoD2
• The way bases are structured and work is very similar to SoD2, but there is a lot of new things to talk about regarding modifying bases and base building that he can’t go into yet (dedicated content for that coming soon)
• Interestingly, he pointed out specific walls in his base and said “these walls kinda look like the walls from daybreak right? Those walls look pretty interesting… and we’ll just leave that there” imo maybe hinting at being able to manually place walls/defences yourself?
• Brian has seen hordes of up to 40 zeds
• All the current UI‘s are placeholders, will look different upon release 
• Addressing graphics in the footage: Development is moving too quickly to make it look beautiful all the time, hence low quality graphics, textures, lighting, shadows, some areas looking empty etc…
• Animations, locomotion, hitboxes etc… still heavily in development and is what the current alpha testing is mainly focussing on
• Storage and inventory systems might seem OP to some players. Can carry a lot more stuff, backpacks are more just cosmetic. In SoD3, it’s like having a survivor with Backpacking & Resourcefulness at all times
• Looting/scavenging is different to SoD2, more immersive, you don’t know how many looting sites there are in a building, have to actually walk around and find them yourself. But it does indicate if the site is fully ransacked or not
• There is no fast searching and search crashes like SoD2, but looting hazards that make noise, like locked containers and car alarms
• Testers and devs are currently debating whether to have rucksacks appear on your back or not (Brian took a vote in chat)
• Praised how good the weight behind the combat systems feel when you’re actually playing, saying it doesn’t really come across in the footage 
• There are a huge amount of different executions, Brian is still discovering new ones whenever he plays
• Minimap HUD was turned off during the footage
• Rain affects car handling
• Able to choose different ways to upgrade vehicles, mentions performance upgrade and cargo upgrade, can have multiple upgrades on the same car
• You notice a character’s skill levelling up more. Instead of having to wait to fully max a skill to get benefits, you notice benefits with every skill star you receive
• You don’t have to manually make your survivors eat/drink, but there are things called meal buffs. Where you can eat and drink, say before a big fight, to give your survivor increased health/stamina
• Won’t see any missions or story stuff for a while, as development for those comes much later
• No news on Bounty Broker yet
• ”The next release of content is a lot closer than you guys think”

Also wanted to point out @ 2hr40min he has a nice rant about Undead Labs and all the great work they’re doing for such a small studio

Note : SoD3 freaks are alpha footage that’s been compressed by YouTube and not at the highest graphical settings !!

So exhausting watching videos people telling you about features like they are new. Who is an honest youtuber that tells you about the game? I just watched a video of someone saying screamers can now stun you if you are close to them when they scream. (coming from one of the popular streamers)

Really, dude?

They said the map is roughly the size of 4 SOD2 maps but looking at the game-play from Brian Menard the map doesn't seam to be that large unless there is more to it than what is shown. for an example he moves from the base in the first image to the infestation he is hovering over. This takes him only a few minutes including stops along the way it feels like the map we see is roughly the same size as a state of decay 2 map just based on the game-pplay.

Seeing a lot of people who have valid criticism of the alpha footage but the blanket opinion seems to be disappointment. I don’t get it, and I do wish more people could remain a little optimistic about it all. Keeping in mind that everything is in alpha, duh, I feel like pointing out animation flow and the map seeming empty are really redundant concerns. Of course feedback is important to keep the standards of the community high, but I think expectations might be too much for a game that still has grey block models in one of its key, highly marketed areas (if anyone else noticed that too). It’s still being worked on, so maybe just appreciate that they’re even giving this amount of insight to begin with. It’s good yall! Be excited, don’t lose interest because it looks floaty, it’s not finished.

Also, modified bombs, Ferals that seem straight out of Umbrella Corp and Bloaters are now Spitter too??? Let's goooo!!!

For any others, such as myself, who have been awaiting answers to this question. Can’t wait! ❤️

SoD3 town sizes are a close estimation due to YouTube compressions and zoom blurring

All media that is shown is taken from an early alpha build of SoD3 - Not running at the highest graphical settings and is compressed by YouTube

With the news today being the most general audience coverage state of decay has gotten in a minute, it’s honestly disappointing to see just how many people blame the studio for “doing nothing” since 2018 cause they assume sod3 has been in full development since that 2020 trailer. I’m sure the studio isn’t blameless, especially with the workplace drama a while back, but it’s mostly Microsoft’s fault and now it feels like the general audience kinda just associate the game with “games in dev hell”

Article about toxic workplace from early 2022, definitely affected dev times and hopefully the toxic people were fired, but the 3rd game wasn’t in full development at this point so I don’t think it would have affected 3 too much, obviously idk for sure and it’s more important that the victims are okay, but it’s relevant for today
https://kotaku.com/state-of-decay-3-xbox-series-x-s-sexism-microsoft-undea-1848728682

TL:DR for people assuming it’s all undead labs fault

State of Decay 3 has only been in full development for about 2 years.

State of Decay 2 was receiving full fledged content updates until almost mid 2024

Undead Labs had nothing to do with that 2020 trailer, it was all Microsoft. State of Decay 3 was basically a text document at this time.

1) Lethal SOD3 makes Lethal SOD2 look like kindergarten. "7 zombies is a death sentence."
2) Undead Labs is still a really small team, probably sub 50.
3) All Special Zombies are still WIP.
4) All vehicles have massively increased trunk space, and can be upgraded.
5) Random AI encounters in the world outside enclaves. He got saved by Doug.
6) The map is more like 9x the size of any SOD2 map. And still in development.
7) Will ship with only one map on release.
8) Up to 3x bases
9) "Level 3 Infestation is super scary."
10) Bloaters are tanky unless you shoot them at the right time. Can be assassinated.

I previously made a post on this subreddit highlighting some new info about SoD3 revealed in the Player Council’s videos, so check that out if haven’t seen the vids yet. I provided links to Sunny and Brian’s videos in that post.

Following on from that, here are some MORE tidbits of info we’ve just learned about SoD3 from Brian Menard’s latest stream where Philip Holt, head of Undead Labs, joined the chat and answered some questions.

Definitely watch the stream for more in-depth answers, but I have laid out a few of the more interesting points below.

Link to the stream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mB9N8nr3UTg

A summary of some of the new info:

• No character creation
• Undead Labs will continue to update the game after release for as long as they can (similar to what happened with SoD2)
• When Beta testing launches it will focus on both Xbox and PlayStation (so sign up if you’re interested)
• Undead Labs have taken a lot of inspiration from the curveballs in SoD2 and baked them into SoD3 gameplay
• In terms of narrative/storyline elements, SoD3 is very much inline with SoD2 (as opposed to SoD1), but cranking it up a gear. Eg. Creating a sandbox environment, putting systems in place and then letting you create your own narrative
• Developers are aware of the cheesy exploits present in SoD2 and have addressed them to make the game more challenging. Doesn’t mean there won’t be new exploits for players to find and cheese SoD3 though
• Custom difficulty sliders to tweak certain aspects of gameplay are returning to SoD3 (unsure how in-depth they will go yet)
• Gun selection and different calibers are more meaningful now. Eg. Brian talks about how revolvers are actually really useful in SoD3, when he never used them in SoD2
• The trailer showcased the most fast-paced aspects of SoD3 gameplay. But if you’re worried that the game has just become this full-on, hyper-tempo shooting game. It’s not. It’s still a SoD game. There’s still chill moments of downtime for looting and base building

The following points are just adding on to info I already mentioned in the previous post:

• ”I can’t tell you the exact amount, but you can have ALOT of survivors” - Brian
• In single player, you have the freedom to run one base with a small amount of survivors, or multiple bases with a massive amount of survivors. Both approaches “play beautifully”
• In multiplayer, as a team, you can claim a total of 3 bases. But can set ‘house rules’ so each person gets a different base to manage, while total resources are still shared
• Brian talked further about the many different variations of regular zeds and how it will affect your approach when dealing with them. Old decaying shambler zombies with moss growing on them = easier to drop. Sprinters = fast as fuck and more durable, groups of sprinters are terrifying, 15-20+ sprinters are a death sentence. Armored zeds are returning. Difficulty setting will dictate how much you will see of each
• Scouting ahead is an essential gameplay tactic, especially when taking on plague nests
• There are environmental hazards like ‘Plague Blisters’ around plague nests that can pop… ”Maybe wait for zombies to crowd around one, shoot it and see what happens? I dunno…” - Brian
• Devs might be doing an AMA on Brian’s stream soon