It’s been just over a month since its release and the game is still getting better with every update. After facing a slightly rocky release that showed us some rather hilarious glitches and bugs, developer Undead Labs have been working around the clock to release updates fixing the problems, as well as gradually adding more content.
Source: Undead Labs/online
Despite the initial launch problems, State of Decay 2 has had over three million players since launch, breaking an Xbox record for the fastest game to reach two million players and was the best-selling Xbox game in May (despite the game being available on the Game Pass service from launch). They still have some way to go before surpassing the first game, which sold more than 4.5 million copies of both the Xbox 360 and Xbox One versions, but given the sales projections that will soon be reached.
The first post-launch content has just been announced, The Independence Pack, which retails for R85 (or free to those who bought the Ultimate Edition which includes this and all future expansiond), brings a large assortment of Independence Day-themed items just in time for the 4th of July festivities. So expect a variety of firework launchers, American-themed melee weapons, three new vehicles all with their own unique modifications that help you destroy pesky zeds, as well as the Fireworks Crafting Station facility mod, allowing gamers to create the ammo their new firework-launchers will require, or to create the four new incendiary fireworks.
This announcement came with details of the next expansion, Daybreak Pack, which promises to return you to the zombie-infested battleground, this time as an embattled Red Talon soldier, equipped to the teeth with military-grade weapons, forced to defend your base from waves of increasing zeds and freaks. It will be a standalone game-mode, seeing you unlock more weapons and rewards for your base the further you progress through the waves. Rumours are rife that you will play the Red Talon soldier heard on the radios in the game, playing out his storyline that you were previously only able to hear about.
No official details have yet been announced about any further content updates, but following the idea used for expansions in the first game, many are expecting an open-ended survival game mode to be included in a future expansion, which will challenge players to manage your resources to see how long you can survive before they all run out.
There are also rumours of future story-based mode, following on from the events in your first playthrough, involving The Network-series of characters from the first game that made a comeback in the second.
Source: Undead Labs/online
Whatever happens in the future, we know that Undead Labs are in good hands, after news emerged at E3 2018 that Microsoft had purchased the studio to ensure the continued development of the very successful franchise on the console (and probably also to ensure it remains an Xbox exclusive), which has risen to be one of the flagship exclusive console titles. This also leaves room for the studio to possibly develop another exclusive IP for the platform, but with the overwhelming success of the State of Decay 2, one would expect their next release to be State of Decay 3.
With the studio’s founder, Jeff Strain, steeped in MMO experience, having previously worked for Blizzard and co-founding Arena.Net, there is a very good chance of another State of Decay title, or a future State of Decay 2 expansion to include a more in-depth multiplayer options, making the game more similar to other MMO’s instead of just a four-player co-op.
