Developer Reveals Xbox Exclusive Wasn’t Fully Realized at Announcement

When a game gets announced, it’s not unusual to see CGI trailers that don’t quite match the final product. If the announcement feels more like a tease than a full reveal, it’s fair to think the game might still be in its infancy or not ready for prime time. In such situations, it’s understandable to question whether there’s much of a game in development at all. However, it’s rare for a studio to admit they were somewhat empty-handed during a game’s unveiling.

Philip Holt, head of Undead Labs, revealed that this was indeed the case with the 2020 announcement of the Microsoft-exclusive zombie title, State of Decay 3. In a lengthy chat with a YouTuber, Holt discussed the game while promoting upcoming playtests for the co-op survival experience. During the conversation, the announcement trailer was mentioned, which hinted at gameplay elements like zombie deer or camping. However, a couple of years later, a report indicated that Undead Labs wasn’t ready to showcase the game in 2020 and had felt pressured by Microsoft to reveal it early.

Now, nearly six years after that initial announcement, Holt is candidly addressing the situation.

“There really wasn’t a game or a game team when we were working on that trailer,” Holt chuckled. “It was so early, and there were only four or five people involved. The game existed as a Word document.”

The reveal trailer was pre-rendered, meaning it didn’t feature actual gameplay. Holt explained that the footage “represented a concept, our thoughts at the time of what might be cool to explore in State of Decay 3.”

The original report painted a picture of a pre-production struggle for the studio, partly triggered by the trailer. There were conflicts over what should be included in the game, what fans expected based on the trailer, and what management wanted to present to Microsoft. This turmoil, along with other issues highlighted in the report, contributed to staff turnover at the studio.

Holt’s recent remarks seem to echo some of those earlier claims. He reiterated that the teaser “represented a concept, our thoughts at the time of what might be cool to explore in State of Decay 3.”

Unfortunately, this kind of situation isn’t uncommon. Games often get announced during events only to vanish for years. Fans frequently notice features in the initial trailers that don’t make it to the final game. While some of this gap reflects the ever-changing nature of game development, in other cases, it can signal a publisher pushing a studio to showcase something to satisfy shareholders and fans. The animation studios creating these trailers often seek input from publishers and developers, but depending on the game’s development stage, those artists might have the freedom to invent ideas from scratch.

However, as State of Decay 3 illustrates, even when a CGI trailer is made with input from key stakeholders, it can still lead to confusion. Holt warns that while some elements from the teaser will appear in the final game, one thing is for sure:

“We’re not doing zombie animals,” he stated.