Remember That Zombie Deer? State of Decay 3's Trailer Was So Early, The Game Was Still In a Word Doc!
AI Gaming News Author · IGN South Africa ·
Turns out that iconic zombie deer from the State of Decay 3 announcement trailer was more a developer's early dream than a gameplay promise. Undead Labs' Philip Holt revealed the 2020 trailer was a 'concept' made when the game was literally just a Word document, but don't fret – an alpha is on the way, along with an exciting co-op collaboration with Obsidian.
Right, so remember that chilling, slightly gross, but undeniably cool moment from the State of Decay 3 announcement trailer back in 2020? The one with the zombie deer chowing down on a wolf carcass? Fair dinkum, it was etched into our brains, wasn't it? It perfectly set the stage for a game where the very wildlife itself was a walking, gnawing threat, adding a whole new layer of existential dread to the post-apocalyptic survival horror. Many of us, myself included, started planning our strategies for dealing with infected grizzlies and rabid, reanimated squirrels.
Well, buckle up, buttercups, because it turns out that magnificent, terrifying zombie deer was, shall we say, a bit of a mirage. Like a spell that looks absolutely spectacular in the concept art but fizzles out when you try to actually cast it. Six years on from that initial, show-stopping reveal, Philip Holt, the Head of Undead Labs, recently dropped a rather surprising, albeit refreshingly honest, truth bomb. Speaking with Sunny Games (big props to them for getting the scoop!), Holt confessed the plain facts: "No zombie deer." Bloody hell.
He laid it all out, explaining that when that slick, pre-rendered trailer from Blur dropped, State of Decay 3 wasn't just early; it was embryonic. We're talking four or five people, a *Word document*, and the barest whispers of software. Imagine trying to explain your grand vision for a complex enchantment when all you've got is a scribble on a napkin – that's essentially where they were. The trailer, as Holt put it, was a "concept," a "thought at the time of what might be cool to explore." And as any seasoned gamer (or digital wizard, for that matter) knows, what looks cool on paper, or in a pre-rendered cutscene, doesn't always translate directly to functional, fun, and feasible gameplay.
It's a familiar tune, isn't it? Those early trailers, gleaming with possibility, often serve to drum up hype for future consoles or a studio's bold ambitions more than they represent actual, playable game mechanics. While I'm genuinely enthusiastic about the creative spark behind such vivid concepts, a tiny, irreverent part of me always wonders: are we being shown a glimpse of the future, or just a really good daydream? This isn't a dig at Undead Labs, mind you. They're being refreshingly transparent, and that's something to celebrate in an industry often shrouded in corporate marketing speak. But it does raise a curious eyebrow about the nature of game announcements released years before actual development maturity.
So, with the zombie fauna out of the picture, what about the other bits from that trailer that caught our eye, like snow environments and camping mechanics? Holt's interview suggests those are still up in the air, which is entirely understandable. Developing a massive survival game is like trying to keep a dozen complex spells active at once – something's always gotta give, or be refined, or simply not make the cut in the interest of a cohesive whole. The good news? We'll soon get a clearer picture, as State of Decay 3 is finally heading into alpha testing, a full six years after that initial, concept-heavy reveal. That's a fair old wait, even by modern AAA standards!
In other news, it seems Undead Labs finally put all their magical energy into State of Decay 3 back in September 2024, officially ending updates for the much-loved State of Decay 2. And let's be fair, SoD2 had a cracking run, with nearly 40 content updates over six years – a testament to ongoing support, if ever there was one. But here's where it gets really interesting, especially for those of us who love a bit of shared world shenanigans: Undead Labs has been cooking up something special with Obsidian Entertainment, the masterminds behind titles like Fallout: New Vegas, Grounded, and Avowed.
They're working on a "shared world feature" that promises a more flexible online co-op experience. Microsoft teased it as building on Grounded's "shared save technology" to deliver a "truly open co-op world owned by multiple players." Now *that* sounds like a potent enchantment – an open co-op world where you don't just visit, but truly own a piece of it with your mates. That's the kind of tech innovation that gets my digital wizard senses tingling, aiming to enhance player experience rather than just add another layer of monetisation. Imagine the possibilities for persistent communities and emergent storytelling with that sort of foundation!
No release date yet, which is par for the course, I reckon, especially with a game of this ambition. But the journey hasn't been without its twists and turns for Undead Labs. Past reports have whispered about workplace challenges and a shifting sense of direction. While Holt's candidness about the early trailer might also hint at the complexities of navigating such a long and sometimes turbulent development cycle, it's good to see them pushing forward with tangible progress and exciting collaborations. The honesty about the zombie deer, while a minor bummer, feels like a cleansing spell, clearing the air for what the game *actually* is and will be. It gives us a clearer vision of their actual magic, rather than the spell's initial conceptual doodle.
So, while we might not be dodging zombie cervids in the wilds of State of Decay 3, the prospect of a robust, truly open co-op experience, honed over years of dedicated development and in collaboration with Obsidian, has me cautiously optimistic. It’s a powerful reminder that game development is less about conjuring a perfect vision from thin air, and more about a long, often messy, but ultimately rewarding alchemical process of refinement and re-evaluation. Let's see what emerges from the alpha, eh? Here's hoping the shared world feature casts a truly spectacular spell, even without the undead wildlife.
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*This article was inspired by Wesley Yin-Poole's original reporting for IGN South Africa. You can find their full insights at
Tags: State of Decay 3, Undead Labs, Game Development, Survival Horror, Xbox
Original article: IGN South Africa