Plants vs. Zombies 3: Evolved rises from the grave once more. This time, its Early Access kicks off in Ireland and the Philippines, with more regions rolling out in the coming months.
Plants vs. Zombies 3: Evolved Launches Mobile Early Access
Now Available in Ireland and the Philippines
Plants vs. Zombies 3: Evolved (PvZ 3) receives another resurrection after more than half a decade of tumultuous development and on-and-off pre-releases. Publisher Electronic Arts (EA) announced that the third main installment of the hit tower defense franchise is now in Early Access on mobile devices (iOS and Android) in Ireland and the Philippines, with more regions to follow in the months ahead. However, no official statement was issued to clarify the criteria behind their regional selection.
Developer PopCap Games previously released the game's Seedling Build in the United Kingdom and the Philippines, which ran from October to December 2025. In an official post on EA's forum, community manager EA_Leeauw stated that they implemented changes to its Early Access launch based on player feedback gathered during the Seedling Build.
Reworks included longer levels "with more meaningful battles," as well as "more deliberate[ly]" designed plants and levels. They also removed player avatars and shifted the focus from the larger Neighborville map back to the classic lawn-based defense gameplay that fans have enjoyed since 2009.
"As PvZ3 releases in each region, we'll be putting down roots and keeping access open all the way through to our worldwide launch," their post read. They also clarified that the game’s systems and features are not yet final or definitive, since it is still in an early build.
"Like any well-tended garden, the game will continue to evolve over time," they stated, adding that they will be "pruning things that aren't working" and "growing the experience with more content and improvements."
Seven Years of Staggered Development
As mentioned earlier, the Early Access and Seedling Build are not the first pre-releases for PvZ 3. Initially called Plants vs. Zombies 3: Welcome to Zomburbia, the game has seen intermittent early builds over the past six to seven years, with a cycle of releases and removals from digital stores.
It first conducted pre-alpha testing in 2019, followed by multiple soft launches in selected regions from 2020 to 2022. Its much-awaited soft launch in January 2024 did not last long either, as EA took it offline in November of the same year "for a major overhaul."
The Seedling Build went live a year later, with the Early Access succeeding it today.
Fans Divided on the Early Access Release
The PvZ community reacted with mixed feelings to the Early Access announcement, given the tower defense's limited regional rollout, which has frustrated fans in other countries, and its turbulent development history. PvZ’s official X (Twitter) account sought to assuage concerns about yet another brief release by confirming that they "aren't planning to take this one down," but dissatisfaction lingered among players.
Many argued that releasing and pulling back various versions has eroded momentum over time. Others also echoed sentiments similar to those two years ago, saying they would rather have a follow-up to the acclaimed 2016 third-person shooter Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 with a third game rather than invest time in PvZ 3.
Meanwhile, there were still fans who expressed their excitement to play PvZ 3 and extended gratitude to the developers for incorporating feedback from the Seedling Build. They were particularly pleased to see the avatars removed, insisting such features "[do] not belong in a PvZ game."
Aside from PvZ 3's setbacks, the franchise continues to thrive through its other titles. Plants vs. Zombies 2 is still up and running, supported by consistent updates since it launched on mobile devices in 2013. A full HD remaster of the original game also became available to play on October 23, 2025, with Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted arriving on PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Switch 1 and 2, and PC (Steam, Epic Games, EA App).
Moreover, some fans still long for the classic Plants vs. Zombies experience, revisiting it from time to time on PC and mobile.
Merge Plants in PvZ 3
Plants vs. Zombies 3: Evolved offers a fresh twist on PvZ’s lawn strategy and tower defense gameplay by enabling players to merge plants across up to three tiers. For instance, two Peashooters can become Repeaters, and three can turn into Gatling Pea. They can also fuse two different plants together, such as Peashooter and Wall-nut transforming into Pea-nut.
For those residing in Ireland and the Philippines, PvZ 3’s Early Access is now available for free on iOS and Android. Further regional availability is expected in the coming months, although they have yet to reveal which countries will be included.
Sources:
X/Twitter | PvZ 3 is now in Early Access
Official Forum Post | The Zombies Are Coming! Plants vs. Zombies 3: Evolved is now in Early Access
Official Forum Post | PvZ 3: Evolved - Seedling Build Wrap Up & A Heartfelt Thank You
EA Official News | An Announcement about PvZ3’s Soft Launch
Reddit | Plants vs. Zombies 3: Evolved is now in Early Access!
