State of Decay 3 is confirmed to be in development, now with the funding of Microsoft behind the franchise. Many fans of the State of Decay series and of zombie survival games are excited, and while there hasn't been any gameplay footage released yet, there has been a cinematic teaser.

At one point in the State of Decay 3 teaser, a deer is seen eating the body of a wolf. If this wasn't off enough, closer inspection of the deer raises some eyebrows and shows that it isn't any ordinary deer. While this could just be a way to signify animals being infected with the zombie virus, it could also also suggested the inclusion of the Wendigo.

RELATED: The Day Before Might Just Beat State of Decay 3 to the Punch

The original Wendigo myth has a lot to do with the act of cannibalism. This obviously has a central part of any fiction or game including zombies, because zombies are either people or something that used to be a person, and often has a serious taste for human (and sometimes any animal's) flesh. To this point, it wouldn't be a stretch at all to find some way to connect the Wendigo myth to any lore relating to zombies; they have Venn Diagrams that naturally overlap.

Another aspect of the State of Decay 3 trailer that could point to the inclusion of the Wendigo is the fact that the animal eating that wolf was specifically a deer. In a lot of the more modern interpretations of the Wendigo, the creature somewhat resembles a deer, at least in the head. State of Decay 3 already needs to shake up its formula, and could obviously do whatever it pleased with its interpretation of the Wendigo, if it's included. But the fact that a deer is the animal chosen for the trailer is suspect, to say the least.

RELATED: Predicting State of Decay 3's Release Date

It should be noted that there are some serious disparities and changes made in the more pop-culture version of the Wendigo compared to the original Wendigo (or Windigo) myth. The Wendigo was originally thought to be a spirit of the winter (which means the setting of the SoD 3 trailer fits), and a warning to the dangers of selfishness. There were thought to be a few different ways to become a Wendigo, ranging from being attacked by one, dreaming of one, being cursed by a Shaman, or as punishment for engaging in immoral or taboo activities, like cannibalism.

This classic Wendigo has a much more human-like appearance, thought to be so hungry for flesh that it might have chewed its own lips off. In fact, the classic Wendigo appears to bear more resemblance to what most think of as zombies, and not a deer-headed monster or Yeti at all. Some natives also liken the Wendigo to an infection, again pushing it more into the realm of zombies. At this stage, it's too early in State of Decay 3's development to tell whether or not it is going to have any Wendigo lore at all. But, the setting, the zombies themselves, and that deer all lead credibility to the theory that it could be included, and it doesn't seem like it would be a stretch.

State of Decay 3 is in development for PC and Xbox Series X.

MORE: State of Decay 3 Needs to Innovate the Sandbox Survival Game