Undead Labs, developer of State of Decay 3, has completed its separation from Xbox after over a decade and is now an independent, employee-owned studio. The team continues development on State of Decay 3, which remains in alpha with a closed beta planned before year-end and a 2027 launch targeted for PS5, Xbox, and PC.
Xbox transferred Rare and the Halo franchise to Activision, announced the closure of Ninja Theory after failed sale attempts, and cut 268 roles across studios. The restructuring includes consolidating multiple studios under different divisions and moving Halo development to a new team at Activision separate from Call of Duty.
Ninja Theory, developer of the Hellblade series, is entering consultation for a proposed closure after two separate acquisition agreements fell through. The studio, which was acquired by Microsoft in 2018, had been put up for sale following initial Xbox layoffs in July. The closure affects the development of Senua, a new Hellblade game announced just months earlier.