State of Decay 2 throws Xbox players a curveball with huge free update

The latest free State of Decay 2 update rolls out to all players on Xbox and PC today, introducing a new curveball mechanic aimed at mixing up the gameplay.

State of Decay 2 throws Xbox players a curveball with huge free update
Tom West

Tom West

Published

State of Decay 2 is receiving a surprise update to help you mix up the action. Undead Labs is hard at work on State of Decay 3, but they've brought on supporting developer Wushu Studios to continue providing updates for State of Decay 2. Today's free Curveball update looks to spice up the grind for the State of Decay 2 achievements for all players on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC, and Xbox Game Pass.

“For experienced players, the later stages of State of Decay 2 can get a little predictable,” Wushu Studios' John Hollingworth told Xbox Wire. “That’s why we are introducing curveballs. This feature is designed to keep you on your toes by adding random events and world-changing modifiers to the game. It introduces new layers of challenge and unpredictability to keep the wasteland fresh, exciting and dangerous. These new scenarios help to develop more unique stories around your survivors, so whether you’re a seasoned survivor or just starting out, each session and playthrough will feel different to the last.”

State of Decay 2's Curveball update can make zombies even more deadly

Curveballs add new gameplay modifiers to State of Decay 2 and will begin to appear after your fifth in-game day, offering up a host of new challenges, boons, rewards, enemy types, and more. According to Wushu, they will appear periodically and can be viewed via a new in-game menu, shaking up almost any aspect of the game when they arrive. "Effectively, any element of the game you may have gotten comfortable with can, and often will, change."

Wushu Studios says that "zombies were the first and most obvious target for modifiers," although we can expect them to affect NPCs, teammates, other enclaves, and more. As for the zombies themselves, curveballs can allow them to hear, see, and smell survivors from further away, hit harder, explode into decomposed bile when killed, and the like, offering a new way to survive the zombie apocalypse.

You'll be able to turn off curveballs if you'd rather not take part in this new madness, but Wushu says that the update "complements the current gameplay," so you don't feel like you're "suddenly playing a different game." Wushu will continue to tweak the curveballs for the time being, but we can "expect the game to see more updates as time goes on."

State of Decay 2: Juggernaut Edition is available alongside some of the best games on Xbox Game Pass, and the Curveball update will be freely available to all players on Xbox and PC today.
Written by Tom West
Tom has been playing video games since he was old enough to hold a controller, experimenting with a number of systems until he eventually fell in love with Xbox. With a passion for the platform, he decided to make a career out of it, and now happily spends his days writing about that which he loves. If he’s not hunting for Xbox achievements, you’ll likely find him somewhere in The Elder Scrolls Online or fighting for survival in Battlefield.
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