Microsoft announced that Undead Labs will hold a closed beta test for State of Decay 3 before the end of 2026, ahead of a 2027 launch. The announcement was made on the Xbox Wire blog by Community Manager Bruce Dugan, who said the beta will give players a hands‑on preview of upcoming improvements to combat, lighting, sound effects, weather, character animations and visuals. The beta follows earlier alpha playtests conducted earlier in the year. Players interested in participating can sign up through a link provided by the studio, and Undead Labs indicated that additional testing opportunities may be offered over time. No specific launch date for the beta has been disclosed.