The State of Decay 2 Homecoming update might be its biggest yet, as it brings back Trumbull Valley, the setting of the first game. Trumbull Valley already made a return appearance in 2019's State of Decay 2: Heartland DLC, but the Homecoming update is much more substantial.
While Heartland's version of the Trumbull Valley map was only a fraction of its size from the original game, State of Decay 2's Homecoming update brings back the full map, completely remastered in the sequel's game engine. Players have the option to move their communities to the new map once the update drops, or they can start a fresh save and begin their journey anew in Trumbull Valley.
As State of Decay 2's fifth open-world area, Homecoming's Trumbull Valley will offer much more than Heartland's linear, story-based version. The Homecoming update has also teased a few new surprises for players looking to jump back into State of Decay 2.
State Of Decay 2 Homecoming Update: Story, Gameplay, & Release Date Details
Release Date
The Homecoming update is now available as of September 1, 2021, for State of Decay 2: Juggernaut Edition, available on Xbox Game , Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S (via Backward Compatibility), and PC (via Microsoft, Steam, and the Epic Games Store).
Story
The Homecoming update introduces new storylines exclusive to the Trumbull Valley region. The main storyline is part three of what Undead Labs called the "Trumbull Saga" in Xbox's Gamescom 2021 presentation. While not necessary to access the new content, players may want to consider playing through at least State of Decay 2: Heartlands first in order to brush up on this story thread.
The story provides new missions to tackle, and players will encounter a few familiar faces. These include characters returning from State of Decay 1, like Ray Santos and Mickey Wilkerson. Undead Labs said to expect newer faces and storylines, as well.
Gear, Bases & "Experiences"
The State of Decay 2 Homecoming update launched with new content that can only be found in Trumbull Valley. The full list, available on Undead Labs' website, includes new weapons and gear like the SVD rifle, Dino Jawblade weapon, and Trumbull County Sheriff hat, but the developer also teased players can encounter "discoverable experiences" in the world that can elicit commentary from their survivors or even lead them to special loot.
Also part of the update are six new bases for players' communities of survivors: Checkpoint Delta, Tranquility Factory, Pterodactyl Park, Red Talon Daybreak FOB, Fort Marshall and Farmland Compound. Each base has a unique theme; Pterodactyl Park is described as the prehistoric successor to State of Decay 2: Heartland's Jurassic Junction base.
Finally, the Trifecta Pack includes new bounties to complete in order to earn weapons and gear. Undead Labs described the Trifecta Pack as having three "mini-themes" for matching items, and each mini-theme includes a melee weapon, a primary firearm, a sidearm, and an ultra-lightweight backpack. The three themes are Hard Candy, Precious Metal and Race Guns.
Achievements
The Homecoming update also includes two new achievements: "Lily, We’re Home" (30 Gamerscore) and "You’re So Fine You Blow My Mind" (20 Gamerscore). In total, these bring State of Decay 2's Gamerscore total up to 2,400 points.
Bug Fixes
In addition to the new content, the State of Decay 2 Homecoming update includes several bug fixes and gameplay improvements. One of the biggest changes is the rebalancing of ammo stacks across the board. All ammunition types in State of Decay 2 have had their stacks increased by anywhere from 25% to 100%. However, the ammunition changes are not in effect in the Daybreak mode. Other fixes include corrected animation bugs during combat, healing with a bandage no longer being interrupted by certain actions, and improved horde spawns.
State of Decay 2: Juggernaut Edition's Homecoming update is now available on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC.
