Undead Labs
 |
Parent Xbox Game Studios (2018–present) | | |
| Website | undeadlabs.com | |
|---|---|---|
Undead Labs LLC is an American
Microsoft Studios
(now known as Xbox Game Studios).
History
Undead Labs was founded on November 23, 2009, by
Microsoft Game Studios to publish their games on the Xbox 360 and now also the Xbox One.[3] This decision was made after most of the other publishers who showed interest in their games were requesting what they described as "World of Warcraft clones".[4] The first game State of Decay was released on the Xbox 360 on June 5, 2013, and on Microsoft Windows on November 5, 2013.[5][6][7]
On January 11, 2014, it was announced that Undead Labs has signed a multi-year, multi-title agreement with Microsoft Studios.[8] Jeff Strain stated that the first State of Decay was "just the start of (Undead Labs') long-term ambitions", and spoke of many future titles potentially entering the franchise.[9]
Moonrise was shut down at the end of 2015.[10]
At
Unreal Engine 5 for Undead Labs as well as for other studios under the Xbox Game Studios banner.[13]
Strain left the company by October 2021 and founded another studio, Possibility Space.[14]
A 2022 investigation by
State of Decay 3.[15] Employees also blamed Microsoft for not living up to its goals of diversity, equity, and inclusion by not responding to reports of abuse in a timely manner.[15]
Games developed
| Year | Title | Platform(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | State of Decay | Windows, Xbox 360, Xbox One |
| 2018 | State of Decay 2 | Windows, Xbox One |
| TBA | State of Decay 3
|
Xbox Series X
|
| Cancelled | Moonrise | Windows, iOS |
References
- ^ "Birth of a video game: How a small Seattle studio creates a sequel to a smash hit — with Microsoft's help". The Seattle Times. May 25, 2018.
- ^ "Mmmm, Brains! Undead Labs to Develop Console-based Zombie MMO". Undead Labs. November 23, 2009. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
- ^ "Undead Labs and Microsoft game studios to create zombie..." Undead Labs. February 3, 2011. Retrieved February 4, 2013.
- ^ "Rude QA 2". Undead Labs. February 3, 2011. Retrieved February 4, 2013.
- ^ Rosenburg, Adam (February 2, 2011). "'Class3' Coming To Xbox Live Arcade". MTV Multiplayer. Archived from the original on January 1, 2012. Retrieved February 4, 2013.
- ^ McElroy, Griffon (February 3, 2011). "Jeff Strain Shares His Vision for Class3, a Different Kind of Zombie Game". Joystiq. Retrieved February 4, 2013.
- ^ Weathers, Sanya (August 31, 2012). "Faq". Undead Labs. Retrieved February 4, 2013.
- ^ Matulef, Jeffrey (January 11, 2014). "State of Decay dev signs multi-year agreement with Microsoft". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Retrieved January 11, 2014.
- ^ Sarkar, Samit (April 20, 2014). "State of Decay's Lifeline DLC is just the start of Undead Labs' 'long-term ambitions'". Polygon. Retrieved July 4, 2014.
- ^ Frank, Allegra (September 2, 2015). "Sun sets on Pokémon-inspired Moonrise as players switch off". Polygon. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
- ^ Minotti, Mike (June 10, 2018). "Microsoft acquires State of Decay 2 studio Undead Labs". VentureBeat. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
- ^ Kim, Matt (July 23, 2021). "State of Decay 3 Announced". IGN. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
- ^ Polumba, Alessio (January 3, 2022). "New Undead Labs Team to Focus on Cross-Studio Animation Technology for Xbox Game Studios". wccftech. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
- ^ McCaffrey, Ryan (October 13, 2021). "State of Decay Studio Founder Jeff Strain Starts New Studio, Possibility Space". IGN. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
- ^ a b c Gach, Ethan (March 31, 2022). "Allegations Of Sexism, Bullying, And Burnout: Inside The Microsoft Studio Behind State Of Decay 3". Kotaku. Retrieved March 31, 2022.