It might not bear the name due to Valve owning the IP, but Back 4 Blood is essentially the sequel to Left 4 Dead 2 that fans have been waiting more than a decade for.
Turtle Rock Studios – formerly Valve South prior to reestablishing independence – announced via the Game Awards last year that it would be returning to the business of zombie-slaying action following 2008’s original Left 4 Dead under the aforementioned publisher, making this a third installment in all but name. There are several key differences to make note of (Back 4 Blood isn’t being built on the Source 2 engine for obvious reasons), but for all intents and purposes, the premise of this spiritual successor is identical. A group of survivors will be tasked with teaming up to take on the drooling undead horde as well as several mutant strains with superhuman abilities.
With an official release not due until the summer, the developer has plenty of time to polish what’s already promising to be an excellent experience and those interested in securing their copy ASAP can do so right now. Three separate editions are currently available for pre-order, including an Ultimate Edition which includes the following bonuses.
As for price and ETA on delivery of those optional extras, publisher Warner Bros. has yet to specify anything, though you can no doubt expect more details to arrive as launch draws closer. Worth paying particular attention to, however, is the mention of cosmetic items such as banners, emblems and titles. These are often associated with live service titles, and we wouldn’t be surprised if Turtle Rock intends for exactly that. Stay tuned for more information, either way.
Back 4 Blood launches June 22nd for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Series X|S, PS5 and PC.