History of State of Decay in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: April 6, 2026

State of Decay is a third-person survival horror video game series created by Undead Labs and published by Xbox Game Studios. The franchise currently consists of two released installments, focusing on scavenging resources, building bases, and managing a community of survivors amidst a zombie apocalypse. Players must balance survival needs with defense against hordes of the undead while also dealing with internal community dynamics. A third game in the series is in development, promising to expand upon the core gameplay and narrative themes of the previous entries.

June 2013: State of Decay Release

In June 2013, State of Decay, Undead Labs' debut title (originally announced as "Class3"), was released for the Xbox Live Arcade for the Xbox 360, and Microsoft Windows. The game quickly sold 250,000 copies in 2 days becoming a commercial success.

2015: State of Decay: Year-One Survival Edition Release

In 2015, an enhanced version of the game, State of Decay: Year-One Survival Edition (YOSE), was released for Windows and Xbox One. This edition introduced new weapons, vehicles, and characters to the game.

May 2018: State of Decay 2 Release

In May 2018, State of Decay 2 was released for the Xbox One. Despite mixed critical reception, it became the best-selling video game in the US for that month, with launch sales doubling those of the first game.

2019: State of Decay 2 Player Base Milestone

In 2019, enabled by the success of Xbox Game Pass, State of Decay 2 had more than 5 million players.

March 2020: Juggernaut Edition Release

In March 2020, an enhanced version of State of Decay 2 named the "Juggernaut Edition" was released, adding numerous quality-of-life improvements to the game.