Microsoft has acquired “State of Decay” developer Undead Labs, it announced Sunday during its E3 2018 press conference.
Undead Labs is one of five studios teaming up with Microsoft, including “Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice” developer Ninja Theory and “We Happy Few” developer Compulsion. It has worked closely with Microsoft since 2010, and now it said it’s taking that partnership even further.
“This acquisition signals Microsoft’s and Undead Labs’ commitment to growing the ‘State of Decay’ franchise and continuing to deliver the ultimate zombie survival experiences for fans, both those new to the franchise and those already dedicated to the community. On behalf of Undead Labs and Microsoft, I’d like to thank the fans of the game for giving us the opportunity to continue building the world of ‘State of Decay,” said Undead Labs studio head Jeff Strain in a press release.
“The original games we create at Microsoft Studios are some of our biggest assets,” said Matt Booty, corporate vice president of Microsoft Studios. “Our growth strategy is to continue to expand the worlds that players love, while developing all-new exclusive games that deepen their engagement with our platform. We are thrilled to welcome five new studios into the Microsoft family. We believe these teams have the collective creative power and operational excellence to deliver the next industry game changers.”
The studio launched the sequel “State of Decay 2” on May 22, bringing a broader selection of base building and customization options to the survival series, along with the number-one fan-requested feature: co-op multiplayer. The game already has over two million players.
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