Games

Why State of Decay 3 is a Wild Card for the Rumored Back 4 Blood 2

Published

2 days ago

January 4, 2025

state of decay 3 shooting crossbow in snow

State of Decay 3 is one of the many upcoming games lacking an official release date at the moment. While the zombie survival title has been confirmed with a trailer, it’s unclear when developer Undead Labs and Microsoft are planning a launch. The excitement for State of Decay 3 is palpable, but it also puts a rumored zombie game in a tricky position.

2024 was filled with plenty of rumors and leaks about various projects, but one that was particularly unexpected was the speculation of a new Back 4 Blood game. Despite there being no confirmation from Turtle Rock Studios yet, there is a lot of compelling evidence that points directly to a Back 4 Blood 4 sequel. Only time will tell if these rumors prove true, but if Turtle Rock Studios is indeed working on a follow-up, then the uncertain release date of State of Decay 3 presents a challenging obstacle.

One State of Decay 3 Detail Hopefully Hasn’t Been Forgotten

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State of Decay 3’s latest trailer didn’t feature one thing shown previously that could prove decisive regarding the game’s future.

State of Decay 3 Could Bring the Rumored Back 4 Blood 2 its Biggest Competition

Back 4 Blood’s Multiplayer Focus Could Be Challenged

One of the biggest draws of Back 4 Blood was the embrace of multiplayer gameplay, but this was a feature that State of Decay 2 players really enjoyed, too. According to State of Decay 3‘s official Steam page, players can expect the return of multiplayer once again. While there are plenty of multiplayer games focused on surviving against the undead, Back 4 Blood 2 and State of Decay 3 potentially launching around the same timeframe while both featuring co-op could pit the two against one another unexpectedly.

This poses a significant issue for the potential Back 4 Blood sequel’s release strategy. While the first Back 4 Blood experienced some solid success, the State of Decay franchise may have the upper hand with its fan base. Of course, as a spiritual successor to Left 4 Dead, Back 4 Blood has benefited from the love of that series, but State of Decay has become quite popular in the zombie genre in recent years. Potential competition between these two series would likely be neck and neck, so State of Decay 3 announcing its release date sooner, rather than later, could help Turtle Rock Studios make a stronger release strategy for the rumored Back 4 Blood 2.

Turtle Rocks Studios recently posted a job listing seeking a Senior Combat Designer, emphasizing experience with co-op and FPS shooter games. While this could be further evidence of a Back 4 Blood sequel, it could also be a brand-new project.

Two Different Approaches to the Zombie Genre

State of Decay takes a survival-focused third-person approach.
Back 4 Blood is a more focused first-person multiplayer shooter.

Despite both focusing on killing zombie hordes, the two franchises have unique methods of adapting their worlds. Both have their benefits, and while the two have the potential to be competition, they attract different preferences. However, State of Decay 3 boasts multiplayer on top of all of its other qualities, like base building, which could give it an edge against a Back 4 Blood sequel that Turtle Rock Studios will want to avoid.

Since Turtle Rock Studios has yet to make any official announcement, this rumored Back 4 Blood project could likely be in its earlier stages of production. Despite rumors of State of Decay 3 being pushed back, the potential Back 4 Blood 2 could still be a ways off. If that’s the case, then Turtle Rock Studios could have the benefit of capitalizing on the desire for more multiplayer zombie games as the hype for State of Decay 3 begins to die down post-launch.

As of now, Back 4 Blood 2 is mere speculation, but there are promising hints at a potential sequel. If a follow-up does see the light of day, it will be fascinating to see if it has to go head-to-head against the highly anticipated State of Decay 3.

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State of Decay 3

State of Decay 3 is an open-world survival game set years after a zombie apocalypse nearly wiped out humankind. An evolving zombie threat is taking over the landscape and you need to carve out a life for your community of survivalist homesteaders.

The choices you make affect in-game events and storylines, so be careful: if one of your community members falls to the zombie horde, you’ll lose that character and their abilities forever. Every risk must be weighed against the reward!

With online multiplayer for up to 4 players, start a community together from scratch with your friends in a shared, persistent world. You’ll all be able to build, develop, and expand a base that reflects your designs and choices.

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