{"id":34440,"date":"2026-09-23T11:36:04","date_gmt":"2026-09-23T09:36:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mixtv1.com\/index.php\/2026\/09\/23\/undead-labs-confirms-it-is-now-an-employee-owned-studio-a-significant-number-of-employees-face-layoffs\/"},"modified":"2026-09-23T11:36:56","modified_gmt":"2026-09-23T09:36:56","slug":"undead-labs-transitions-to-employee-owned-studio-amid-significant-layoffs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mixtv1.com\/index.php\/2026\/09\/23\/undead-labs-transitions-to-employee-owned-studio-amid-significant-layoffs\/","title":{"rendered":"Undead Labs Transitions to Employee-Owned Studio Amid Significant Layoffs"},"content":{"rendered":"

Undead Labs Shifts to Employee-Owned Model: What This Means for State of Decay 3<\/h2>\n
\n \"State
Image credit: Undead Labs<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In a major structural pivot, Undead Labs has officially transitioned into an independent, employee-owned game development studio. This move follows a broader reorganization within the Xbox ecosystem, marking a definitive end to the studio’s tenure as a direct subsidiary of the platform holder.<\/p>\n

Navigating Organizational Change<\/h3>\n

The transition has not been without its challenges. As part of the separation process, the studio confirmed that a substantial portion of its workforce has been laid off. In a public statement, the team acknowledged the profound impact of these departures, noting that the affected staff were instrumental in building the foundation of the State of Decay<\/em> franchise. Despite these personnel changes, the studio emphasized that the contributions of these developers remain deeply embedded in the DNA of the upcoming State of Decay 3<\/em>.<\/p>\n

This shift toward independence is a growing trend in the gaming industry, where studios are increasingly seeking autonomy to foster more agile development cycles. By moving away from corporate mandates, Undead Labs aims to streamline its creative process, similar to how other independent studios have successfully pivoted to prioritize community-driven feedback loops over rigid, top-down publishing requirements.<\/p>\n

State of Decay 3: The Road to 2027<\/h3>\n

Despite the internal restructuring, the studio has reaffirmed that development on State of Decay 3<\/em> is moving forward at full speed. The highly anticipated title is currently slated for a 2027 release. When it arrives, the game will be available across a wide range of platforms, including Xbox, PC, Game Pass, and-notably-PlayStation, signaling a broader reach for the franchise.<\/p>\n

Fans eager to get an early look at the next evolution of the zombie-survival series won’t have to wait until 2027. Undead Labs has confirmed that a closed beta phase is scheduled to launch before the conclusion of this year, providing a critical opportunity for the community to engage with the game\u2019s mechanics early on.<\/p>\n

A New Chapter for Undead Labs<\/h3>\n

Philip Holt, the head of the studio, expressed optimism regarding this new chapter. According to Holt, the move to an employee-owned model is designed to bridge the gap between the developers and their player base. By removing layers of corporate bureaucracy, the team intends to focus exclusively on refining the core gameplay loop and maintaining the long-term loyalty of their audience.<\/p>\n

As the studio enters this independent era, the focus remains squarely on delivering a polished experience that honors the legacy of the series while pushing the boundaries of the survival-horror genre. With the 2027 launch window firmly in sight, the industry will be watching closely to see how this newfound independence influences the final product.<\/p>\n

\u00bb More Info >>><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Big news for fans of the undead: Undead Labs is officially striking out on its own. The studio behind the *State of Decay* franchise has announced its independence, transitioning into an employee-owned developer following a formal separation from Xbox. Despite this major structural shift, the team confirmed that development on *State of Decay 3* remains in full swing, with the highly anticipated sequel still firmly on track for its 2027 release<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":55,"featured_media":34441,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wpai_generated_summary":"","wpai_meta_description":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[44,36,1013,1561],"class_list":["post-34440","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-gaming","tag-microsoft","tag-mixtv","tag-undead-labs","tag-xbox-game-studios"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mixtv1.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34440","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mixtv1.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mixtv1.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mixtv1.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/55"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mixtv1.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=34440"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.mixtv1.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34440\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34443,"href":"https:\/\/www.mixtv1.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34440\/revisions\/34443"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mixtv1.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/34441"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mixtv1.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34440"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mixtv1.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=34440"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mixtv1.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=34440"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}