New Undead Labs Owners Not Obligated to Release State of Decay 3 on Game Pass

Despite the game's development being funded by Xbox for a long time.

According to Game File journalist Stephen Totilo, the most severe consequences for Compulsion Games, Double Fine Productions, Undead Labs, and Ninja Theory are now behind them.

As previously reported, Compulsion Games and Double Fine Productions have once again become independent studios. In turn, Undead Labs and Ninja Theory have already come under new ownership. Their identities have not yet been officially disclosed, but sources claim that the relevant announcements should take place by the end of 2026. Moreover, Undead Labs' new owner may be introduced as early as this summer.

The situation with State of Decay 3 is of particular interest. Despite the game's development being funded by Xbox, the studio's new owner is reportedly not obligated to release the project on Game Pass. Such a scenario seems unusual and could affect the game's sales strategy on Xbox platforms.

Meanwhile, new information has emerged regarding Xbox's policy concerning the Game Pass service. Previously, Arrowhead Game Studios head Shams Jorjani stated that many developers were in advanced negotiations to add their games to the subscription, but these deals were unexpectedly canceled. Nevertheless, Totilo's sources claim that Xbox has not stopped funding agreements with independent developers, although changes in the company's priorities and the slowdown in Game Pass growth may have led to a review of individual contracts.