‘State of Decay 2’ spreads its infection to Xbox One and PC this May

The Xbox One already has the excellent-looking pirate adventure game Sea of Thieves coming later in March, but Microsoft’s console will be getting another impressive console exclusive just a short while later. State of Decay 2 hits Xbox One and PC on May 22, and it’s cheaper than you might expect.

The release date was revealed via IGN as part of the site’s month-long “IGN First” program, which will give us new details on the game all through March.

A gameplay video was released alongside the announcement, showing off smooth third-person combat as well as a sampling of the disgusting zombies you will be fighting. Though somewhat similar in structure to Capcom’s Dead Rising series, there is much more emphasis on survival in State of Decay 2. You’ll have to manage resources at your settlements and gather survivors, but you won’t have to do so alone, as the game supports four-person online cooperative play. Each player will still maintain their own “personal community” of characters, but they’re free to drop into others’ games at any time.

State of Decay 2 will not feature one large map, but instead three separate maps — each is about the size of the original game’s map, and developer Undead Labs said this decision was made to avoid having déjà vu set in too quickly. As an added bonus, it will make it easier for the studio to add additional locations in the future, which should help to keep the game’s player count high.

State of Decay 2‘s standard version will set you back $30, while the “Ultimate Edition” will cost $50. This version of the game includes early access to State of Decay 2 as well free access to two pieces of DLC and the remastered State of Decay: Year One Survival Edition. The game was originally released as a digital game on the Xbox 360 in 2013.

When State of Decay 2 releases on May 22, it will be as an Xbox Play Anywhere title, so buying a digital copy for one platform gets you the other for free, complete with cross-save support. Undead Labs has also hinted at a Steam version, if you prefer to not use the Microsoft Store.