State of Decay 2: What is CLEO?

·February 25, 2021

The world of State of Decay and State of Decay 2 is ripe with background stories in the forms of handwritten notes left behind by presumably dead survivors. In the first game, we were entertained with a story set during the first few weeks of the zombie apocalypse. The second game, however, left the storytelling to the ambiance and aforementioned notes.

The lack of direct game lore left a metric ton of questions. For example, what or who is CLEO?

Who is CLEO?

From what we’ve gathered in-game, CLEO is presumably what is left of the United States military or, perhaps, a paramilitary organization. The first reference to CLEO is in State of Decay: Year One Survival Edition. Furthermore, in the second game, mentions of CLEO abound via in-game items and error messages.

We do not witness firsthand any CLEO personnel on the ground during the zombie apocalypse. The only indication we have as to CLEO’s existence is via regular supply drops, which contain weapons, ammunition, food, and construction materials.

Who Are CLEO’s Supplies Meant For?

Obviously, those supplies dropped via airplane (?) were not meant for our budding community of survivors. Unless someone is watching via satellite, chances are the supply drops are for CLEO personnel at pre-designated points on the map.

With no CLEO-aligned military personnel in the area, those drops become saving graces for survivors like you or me. In fact, they contain a large variety of useful items, including weapons and even facility mods.