Turtle Rock Studios, the creative minds behind Left 4 Dead and the short-lived Evolve, are plotting a big comeback.
Just yesterday, the dev team announced a new collaboration with Warner Bros. Games to create Back 4 Blood, a zombie co-op game that is definitely not Left 4 Dead 3, despite the similarities in its numeric title. Instead, Turtle Rock is building a “premium, AAA” effort for PS4, Xbox One and PC, though there’s currently no mention of a release date – or even a launch window.
It’ll also harken back to the studio’s roots, with PvP gameplay and a full-fledged story campaign – just don’t expect a battle royale arena in the vein of Fortnite and Apex Legends.
For more, here’s how the dev describes it:
Back 4 Blood is our own brand new, original IP. You’ll be able to shoot up a lot of zombies like in Left 4 Dead, but there’s a whole lot of new stuff in Back 4 Blood which makes it unique.
Design director Chris Ashton later went on to explain just how awesome an opportunity this is, to create a brand new IP that will compete in the cutthroat genre of online shooters. Will Back 4 Blood sink or swim? We’ll find out in due course, but for now, here’s the latest from Ashton and the team at Turtle Rock:
It’s hard to overstate what an awesome opportunity this is. We get to return to a genre that was born in our studio with over ten years of additional experience and zombie ideas racked up in our brains. We also have some of the best teammates in the business at WBIE who understand our development process and are equally committed to our player-first mentality. We love being able to announce, so we can start working with the community right away.
Back 4 Blood is currently in development for PS4, Xbox One and PC and we’ll be keeping a close eye on Turtle Rock’s new creative venture as its nears the warm light of day. As always, watch this space for more.