State Of Decay 3 Developer Was Nearly Acquired By Splash Damage Before The Deal Collapsed
Undead Labs, the Seattle studio behind State of Decay and formerly part of Xbox, was nearly acquired by Splash Damage, the Brink developer, before the deal collapsed. The purchase was to be financed by a major publisher …
Title fact check: Brink developer nearly acquired former Xbox studio Undead Labs, backed by the publisher behind an upcoming Star Wars game.
The Setup
Undead Labs, the Seattle-area studio best known for the State of Decay series, had been part of the Xbox family before becoming an independent studio again — hence its current status as a "former Xbox studio." On the other side of the almost-deal sat the company behind Brink, the 2011 parkour-infused shooter, which was exploring an acquisition and had lined up financial backing from a major publisher — the same publisher releasing an upcoming Star Wars game.
The Near-Deal
According to the report, the Brink developer was nearly set to complete the purchase of Undead Labs, with the Star Wars publisher's money providing the financing. Had it gone through, the deal would have paired a studio famous for co-op survival zombie games with a developer that has a long history of contributing to other studios' projects, including work on Gears of War multiplayer.
Why It Matters
- A different State of Decay future: Undead Labs' trajectory, its staffing, and the direction of its franchise could have looked very different under new ownership.
- Publisher consolidation: A publisher funding acquisitions on behalf of partner studios shows how financing — not just outright buying — has become a tool in the industry's ongoing consolidation wave.
- Xbox's ecosystem: Undead Labs was once an Xbox studio; a sale to a third party with outside publisher money would have moved its output out of first-party reach.
Where Things Stand
The deal never happened. Undead Labs did not change hands to the Brink developer, and its eventual path took a different route entirely. For now, the episode stands as a near-miss that illustrates how close studio histories can come to diverging — and how publisher money increasingly underwrites the deals that shape which games get made and by whom.
FAQ
Which studio nearly acquired Undead Labs?
According to the article, the Brink developer — the company behind the 2011 parkour-infused shooter Brink, referred to in the headline as Splash Damage — was nearly set to complete the purchase of Undead Labs before the deal collapsed.
Who was financing the deal?
The acquisition was to be backed financially by a major publisher — the same publisher releasing an upcoming Star Wars game. The article notes this reflects how publisher financing, not just outright ownership, has become a tool in the industry's consolidation wave.
Did the deal go through?
No. The deal never happened. Undead Labs did not change hands to the Brink developer, and its eventual path took a different route entirely.
Was Undead Labs an Xbox studio at the time?
Undead Labs had been part of the Xbox family before becoming an independent studio again, which is why the article describes it as a "former Xbox studio." Had the deal gone through, its output would have moved out of Xbox's first-party reach.
How would the deal have affected State of Decay?
Under new ownership, Undead Labs' trajectory, staffing, and the direction of the State of Decay franchise could have looked very different. It would have paired the co-op zombie survival studio with a developer that has a long history of contributing to other studios' projects, including Gears of War multiplayer.
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