{"rewrite":{"id":"r_94e1c5239f76833637ea16a6","clusterId":"c_6e9016513b6e33c938462f09","slug":"undead-labs-cuts-staff-after-leaving-xbox-umbrella","model":"deepseek-v4-1-flash","headline":"Undead Labs Cuts Staff After Leaving Xbox Umbrella","summary":"Undead Labs announced layoffs on September 23, 2026, saying it had \"said goodbye to many of our teammates.\" The studio, known for the State of Decay series, recently moved from under the Xbox umbrella to become an independent studio. The statement says State of Decay 3 production continues, and the game remains planned for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S with a day-one Game Pass release.","whyItMatters":"The cuts land at a studio that just gained independence from Xbox, and the statement ties the departing staff's work directly to State of Decay 3, which the studio says is still in production.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003eThe statement describes the decision as difficult and notes that many such announcements have come from across the industry. It also addresses the departing staff directly: the results of their work remain part of Undead Labs and part of State of Decay 3.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe reorganization that moved the studio out from under the Xbox umbrella was reported before the layoffs were confirmed. State of Decay 3 is still planned for PC (Steam and Xbox), PS5, and Xbox Series X|S, with a day-one Game Pass release.\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"Undead Labs is taking on layoffs and State of Decay 3 upkeep after losing the Xbox safety net. The studio's release plan stays fixed on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Game Pass.","twitterPost":"Undead Labs faces layoffs and State of Decay 3 upkeep now that Xbox's safety net is gone, while its PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S launch plan holds.","threadsPost":"Undead Labs is absorbing layoffs and continuing State of Decay 3 after stepping out from under the Xbox umbrella. The release plan remains PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Game Pass, so the studio keeps its commitments even as it cuts staff.","newsletterBlurb":"Undead Labs announced layoffs on September 23, 2026, saying it had said goodbye to many teammates. The studio recently transitioned from under the Xbox umbrella to an independent operation. Its statement says State of Decay 3 production continues, with the game still planned for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S and a day-one Game Pass release.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"Game Spark\",\"url\":\"http://www.gamespark.jp/article/2026/09/23/172677.html\",\"title\":\"Layoffs Announced at Undead Labs Following Its Independence from Xbox; Development of 'State of Decay 3' Continues\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":4754,"outputTokens":593,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1791210140,"createdAt":"2026-10-05T14:18:31.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-10-05T14:21:10.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-10-05T14:21:10.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_6e9016513b6e33c938462f09","canonicalTitle":"XBOX傘下から独立したUndead Labsでレイオフ発表。『State of Decay 3』の開発は継続","representativeArticleId":"a_066425808703ef45b0d1f057","sourceCount":1,"writtenSourceCount":1,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":true,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[],\"manga_titles\":[],\"work_titles\":[\"State of Decay 3\"],\"studios\":[\"Undead Labs\",\"Xbox\"],\"people\":[],\"type\":\"business\",\"domain\":\"games\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"published","firstSeenAt":"2026-09-23T09:46:03.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-09-23T09:46:03.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-10-05T14:21:06.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"Game Spark","url":"http://www.gamespark.jp/article/2026/09/23/172677.html","title":"XBOX傘下から独立したUndead Labsでレイオフ発表。『State of Decay 3』の開発は継続"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":[],"manga_titles":[],"work_titles":["State of Decay 3"],"studios":["Undead Labs","Xbox"],"people":[],"type":"business","domain":"games","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":null}