State of Decay 2 Daybreak DLC announced

Yet more zombie-related news coming around Gamescom this week. And no, it’s not another game being delayed.

Instead, Undead Labs has announced the first major DLC for State of Decay 2, titled Daybreak.

Those of you who played the original State of Decay may remember the DLC packs released for that game. Lifeline, which was a self-contained story mode focused on surviving endless waves of recurring undead. And Breakdown, which featured an endless sandbox mode that didn’t have a definite end like the base game or Lifeline.

Daybreak Pack feels like a mish-mash of both of these two previous DLC, being brought forward into State of Decay 2. And as one would expect with DLC, it also adds new weapons, items and characters to the zombie game.

The DLC places players in teams of four as elite merc soldiers tasked with defending an important base from increasingly vicious waves of undead. And no, you won’t risk your main community in this mode as the challenge is self-contained. Permadeath is sort of a thing, as you’ll lose a soldier that dies, along with any of their earned abilities, but you can respawn. It feels like Lifeline players from the first game will feel pretty at home here, as that mode played similarly. Luckily, players get access to top-tier equipment to handle the fight. And some of the better unlocks you get for completing the mode will carry over to your main game for all players.

Here’s the official description for the DLC from Microsoft via Inside Xbox:

• Team up with friends. Players and up to three teammates play as highly skilled Red Talon soldiers armed with high-end weaponry; together, they will defend a fortified position against waves of oncoming zombies, while a vulnerable technician repairs a critical satellite relay.

• New enemies and weapons. Among the waves of regular and special zombies players will need to ward off will be a new enemy – the Blood Plague Juggernaut! This is a tougher version of the already powerful juggernaut who will expose players to blood plague. To combat this new scourge, players have access to a new set of CLEO weapons including eight new ranged weapons, six new melee weapons and six new deployable explosives.

• New rewards and achievements. The more waves you survive, the more rewards you earn. Rewards and unlocked items can be used to fight more efficiently in future Daybreak sessions and players will also be able to access those same unlocked items for their main community of survivors, giving access to the new CLEO weapons, additional accessories and upgrades for their base – including the opportunity to bring in a Red Talon soldier. Lastly Daybreak Pack comes with over two dozen new achievements for State of Decay 2 worth 250 Gamerscore!

The Daybreak DLC for State of Decay 2 will release on September 12 for Xbox One and Windows 10. The DLC content will cost $9.99, but you get it for free if you have the Ultimate Edition of the game. Xbox Game Pass holders can get a slight discount at 10% off the purchase price. You can view the relevant snippet from Inside Xbox down below.