Rishabh Borde
Call me delusional, but I am still patiently waiting for the sequel to Valve’s 2009 co-op zombie shooting sensation ‘Left 4 Dead 2’, and judging by the internet’s reaction to any bit of news about a possible ‘Left 4 Dead 3’ I am certainly not alone. It’s been over a decade since the release of the last game, but the rumor mill remains as active as ever as evidenced by the commotion when a Youtuber named Tyler McVicker released a series of 29 screenshots supposedly from an early build of ‘Left 4 Dead 3’.
Logically speaking, there should definitely be a ‘Left 4 Dead 3’. For one thing, ‘Left 4 Dead 2’ ended on a cliffhanger of epic proportions. Secondly, the game was a phenomenal critical and commercial success for Valve, and typically developers and publishers love to release countless sequels for their commercially viable properties. Clearly, that is not the case with Valve who seem to be content simply selling games on their Steam video game storefront, and leave the actual game development to everybody else.
Nevertheless, this does beg the question – will there ever be a ‘Left 4 Dead 3’? And if there will be one, when can we expect it to be released? Read on to find out everything we know about the ‘Left 4 Dead’ franchise and the possibility of a third installment in the near future.
Left 4 Dead 3: What Can It Be About?
Both the previous ‘Left 4 Dead’ games have taken place in the same game world immediately in the days following a pandemic of a virus that turns its human hosts into feral zombies. Since the zombies are unable to navigate bodies of water, the government of the United States of America evacuates as many people as possible to various islands and massive ships. A very tiny, albeit critical part of the population develops an immunity to the zombie virus, and four of these people (also known as Carriers) function as the primary protagonists in both editions of the game.
It is highly likely that if there were to be a ‘Left 4 Dead 3’, it would be based in the same game world as the previous two games. However, we can expect all new playable characters and cast of Non Player Characters (NPCs). It could very well also feature new types of infected zombies, weapons and character abilities.
Another possible addition is a crafting mechanic, which has become a staple in most zombie survival games these days
Left 4 Dead 3 Rumors
Although there has been no official announcement or even a hint from Valve yet, that hasn’t stopped the internet from speculating wildly. Way back in 2012, ‘Left 4 Dead’ series writer Chet Faliszek hinted in an interview that ‘Left 4 Dead 3’ was in the works, however nothing came of that since then. Falszek himself exited from Valve in 2017, so any project he may have been referring to may well be dead, if it existed in the first place.
In 2016, the newly released HTC Vive benchmark tool that was built using the SOurce Engine was found to have several references and assets that seemed to hint at the existence of a ‘Left 4 Dead’ sequel.
Youtuber Tyler McVickers recently shared 29 screenshots from 2013 of a build that is supposedly an early version of ‘Left 4 Dead 3’. McVickers claims that a ‘Left 4 Dead 3’ game was indeed under development once, but the project has since been put on ice.
Left 4 Dead 3 Developers: Who Could be The People Behind It?
The original ‘Left 4 Dead’ game was developed by American video game developer Turtle Rock Studios, whereas ‘Left 4 Dead 2’ was developed by Valve Corporation. It is highly unlikely that Turtle Rock Studios will be involved in ‘Left 4 Dead 3’ in any capacity given that they recently announced that they were working on a zombie First Person Shooter of their own titled ‘Back 4 Blood’, which seems to be something of a spiritual successor to ‘Left 4 Dead’.
Left 4 Dead 3: When Can We Expect It?
The most optimistic scenario is if ‘Left 4 Dead 3’ gets greenlit right now, it could release by 2022. But truth of the matter is, it is almost impossible to say when we will see the next version of the game. Valve has long seemed determined to avoid making sequels for their most popular video game properties. However, their recent forays back into the realms of video game development with the VR game ‘Half-Life: Alyx’ could be an encouraging sign for the future possibility of ‘Left 4 Dead 3’.
‘Left 4 Dead 2’ is available to play on PC, Linux, macOS and Xbox 360. Any ‘Left 4 Dead 3’ game would likely release on PC and the current generation Xbox console, with a PlayStation version also a strong possibility.
Left 4 Dead 2 Trailer
While we wait endlessly for ‘Left 4 Dead 3’, why not check out the trailer for ‘Left 4 Dead 2’ once again:
Read More: Best VR Zombie Games
