'State Of Decay 2' Will Abandon Offline Progression And Improve Base Building

  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Open World
  • Survival
State of Decay
State of Decay Photo: Microsoft / Undead Labs

A new interview with Undead Labs founder Jeff Strain is shedding some light on State of Decay, the upcoming sequel to the studios 2014 zombie survival game, and the State of Decay 2 team has apparently learned quite a bit from community feedback on the first game. Undead Labs still isn’t saying much about the sequel, but we did get some hard data on State of Decay 2.

One of the most divisive features from the first State of Decay, offline progression, won’t return when the sequel hits PC and Xbox One. In a new interview with Windows Central, Strain says his studio never found the right balance for the system -- which attempted to simulate food consumption, tool usage and other events that might occur as time passed in the zompocalypse -- and most fans were “pretty clear” about their desire to see it removed in State of Decay 2. But Undead Labs isn't just carving up its first game. The studio is also improving upon core mechanics from State of Decay.

Strain says fans can expect to see noticeably improved base-building in State of Decay 2 , alongside new vehicles and automotive improvements. Interpersonal relationships will still play a role in the series, with dozens of new characters who can be rescued or abandoned, and the studio’s primary goal is creating a game people want to experience with their friends. Strain says not to expect something with the scope of a massively-multiplayer online game though.

For more on State of Decay 2, including further confirmation that we’ll see co-op multiplayer in the sequel, check out Windows Central’s interview with Jeff Strain.

State of Decay 2 is in development for PC and Xbox One.

Be sure to check back with iDigitalTimes and follow Scott on Twitter for more State of Decay 2 news throughout 2017 and however long Undead Labs supports State of Decay 2 after launch.

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