State of Decay 3 Closed Beta Sign-Up: How to Join Free

Registration for State of Decay 3 playtests is open and free at playtest.stateofdecay.com. Undead Labs says a closed beta will start before the end of 2026, but it has given no date, and on September 22 the studio announced that it is now independent from Xbox. A sign-up is a chance at a slot, not a guaranteed invite.

What changed on September 22

Undead Labs announced on its site on September 22, 2026 that it "completed its separation from XBOX" and now runs as an independent, employee-owned studio. The post says development of State of Decay 3 continues, that the game is currently in alpha, and that the team is still working toward a closed beta before the end of the year. Studio head Philip Holt said independence brings the team closer to its community. Microsoft had acquired the studio in 2018, and more details about its plans are promised later.

That announcement does not name a publisher. Steam's store data still listed Xbox Game Studios as the publisher on October 3, so treat who publishes the game as an open question until the studio says more.

How to sign up

Registration runs through the official playtest site, playtest.stateofdecay.com, which both the studio and Xbox Wire link. The September 22 announcement points to the same address for future playtests. Do not use any other site, and read our guide to redeeming game codes safely if a stranger offers you a key.

Registering does not guarantee a place. The studio says anyone who misses the first wave will get more opportunities through the year, and that people who signed up during the alpha period are still on its list, so you may already be registered. The alpha sign-up opened on April 3, 2026, and the game is still in alpha as of the September post, so a new invite could be for the alpha or the beta.

What testers will be doing

The playtests are stress tests. Creative director Kevin Patzelt said the game has the studio's largest map yet and "untethered multiplayer", which is why the team wants to widen testing over time. Community manager Bruce Dugan wrote on Xbox Wire that each wave feeds back into development, from balancing co-op combat encounters to fine-tuning the new permadeath systems.

Alpha feedback already shaped the work. The studio names combat against multiple freaks, lighting, sound and weather, cosmetic options such as clothing, glasses and beards, and smoother character movement. Losing a survivor is permanent, and the narrative is built to carry that weight. Steam lists single-player, co-op and online co-op for the game.

Platforms and Game Pass

The studio's September 22 post says the game remains targeted for 2027 on Xbox, Game Pass, PC and PlayStation. Xbox Wire's August 26 post, published while the studio was still part of Xbox, gave the detail: Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, cloud and Game Pass, with Xbox Play Anywhere across console and PC, plus Steam and PlayStation 5. The studio has not repeated the cloud and Play Anywhere details since the split, so confirm them before you rely on them.

Steam lists the game as coming soon with the release date to be announced, and shows Windows support. Undead Labs says the playtests will expand to more players and more platforms before launch, but it has not said which platforms get each wave. Our Game Pass October guide covers what the service is adding now.

Tips while you wait

1. Register once, with the account you actually play on.
2. Watch the email tied to that registration, including spam.
3. Ignore any site that asks for payment or sells keys, because the official sign-up is free.
4. Follow stateofdecay.com for wave announcements instead of relying on reposts.

There are 89 days from October 3 to the end of the year, so a beta invite could still arrive in that window.

Frequently asked questions