Undead Labs spent years attempting to transform State of Decay 3 into a full-scale zombie apocalypse MMO before eventually abandoning that direction. The studio announced the game in 2020 with a cinematic trailer depicting a cold-weather setting with undead wildlife, but that teaser bore little resemblance to the actual project in development. The initial announcement trailer was created primarily to fill out a Microsoft showcase. Undead Labs pursued an MMO concept that aimed to capture the scope of a global zombie apocalypse, representing a significant expansion beyond the scope of the two previous State of Decay survival games. The studio ultimately rewrote the entire game during this extended development period.