Two major first-party Xbox titles, State of Decay 3 and Perfect Dark, may be gearing up to finally show gameplay within the next year. Xbox has just held its annual summer game showcase where it debuted in-game footage from many of its highly anticipated first party games such as Fable, Hellblade 2, and Avowed, as well as revealed new titles like South of Midnight and Clockwork Revolution. While the reveals satiated many Xbox fans, The Initiative's Perfect Dark and Undead Labs' State of Decay 3 weren't present at the first-party extravaganza.
The third entry in Xbox's zombie survival State of Decay franchise was first announced way back in Summer 2020. With State of Decay 2 releasing to subpar reception, this third title was looked at as an opportunity for the series to correct itself and possibly even move in a more cinematic narrative-driven direction. Now, after three years of radio silence, State of Decay fans are beginning to wonder when more will be shown off. The Initiative's Perfect Dark reboot is in a similar boat. First revealed at The Game Awards 2020, the Joanna Dark stealth reboot has been hit with studio departures to the point where Crystal Dynamics, the studio behind the Tomb Raider reboot trilogy and Square Enix's largely unsuccessful Marvel's Avengers, had to be brought in to help execute The Initiative's vision.
In an interview with Giant Bomb, Head of Xbox Game Studios Matt Booty provided a small bit of insight regarding Perfect Dark and State of Decay 3's next possible appearances. Mentioning that he's seen builds of both games, he pointed toward the next 18 months as the potential window for when fans might be able to expect to see gameplay deep dives from these games. Additionally, Booty talked about how the first party studios are aware that showing gameplay is the expectation, something VP of Xbox Games Marketing Aaron Greenberg laid out for fans a few days ahead of this year's showcase.
"...we've seen builds of games at The Initiative, I know, just because [Undead Labs] are there in Seattle, what's going on with State of Decay 3... So as I look ahead to the next 18 months in terms of what we're going to be able to show and deliver and do that kind of gameplay [reveal], I'm cautiously confident."
With Avowed and Hellblade 2 likely to be Xbox's first party headliners for at least the first half of 2024, it's possible that Perfect Dark and State of Decay 3 could be part of the next wave of AAA Xbox titles after that, into 2025. With major first-party Xbox games now willing to show up at shows like Gamescom, The Game Awards, or even Xbox's smaller Developer Directs, it wouldn't be outside the realm of possibility for fans to begin expecting State of Decay 3 or Perfect Dark gameplay at any of these future events, especially with Matt Booty's comments taken into account.
Xbox's own Hellblade 2 was first revealed at The Game Awards 2019, then debuted its gameplay two years later at TGA 2021. Since Perfect Dark was also revealed at The Game Awards, it could possibly return with gameplay if not this December, then maybe the next. After reports of Perfect Dark's seemingly troubled development, it's nice to hear it's still on track.
State of Decay 3 and Perfect Dark are in development.
Source: GamingBolt