State of Decay 2: Homecoming releases next week

Xbox brought a brand new show to Gamescom last night, just one day before the Opening Night Live. They brought updates on Microsoft Flight Simulator, Sea of Thieves and tonnes more.

Alongside all of this came an important change to State of Decay 2, the arrival of a brand new update. Here's what you should know about it and when you can play it for yourself.

Release Date

State of Decay 2: Homecoming is set to launch on September 1st, next Wednesday. It is free for all owners of State of Decay 2: Juggernaut Edition or for anyone subscribed to Xbox Game Pass

This leaves a week to prepare for the game yourself. You can preload State of Decay 2 today and then start to play the Update next week when it arrives.

We should receive an option to preload the update ahead of release so keep an eye on your download queue to find that. Xbox announced that 10 million players have now given State of Decay 2 a go

What is it?

State of Decay 2: Homecoming sends players back to Trumbull Valley, the original map from the first game. It sends you back where you can run into old survivors and take part in a new story.

The time since the first game has changes the map to add new bases, weapons and terrain. The map will become part of an evolving story, seeing new missions and changes take place in real-time.

Where the State of Decay 2: Heartland update lets players explore a stripped-back version of the Trumbull Valley map, this is a much more expansive update adding the full map to the game.

This will finish a story that has been growing and expanding since the very first game, an interesting prospect for returning fans.