Left 4 Dead 2 in Valve’s future! DLC on the way for Left 4 Dead

4 January 2009

Posted by:Ferry

At E3 2009 Valve confirmed Left 4 Dead 2 is coming exclusively to Xbox 360 and PC, when it’s released on November 17, 2009.

The title adds melee combat to enable deeper co-operative gameplay, with items such as a chainsaw, frying pan, axe, baseball bat, and more. Check it out in this first Left 4 Dead 2 trailer:

“A large part of how Left 4 Dead became 2008′s top-selling new IP on Xbox 360 and the PC was the custom-tailored gameplay made possible by the AI Director,” said Gabe Newell, president and co-founder of Valve. “With the knowledge gained from creating the original, new technology, and a passionate team, L4D2 will set a new benchmark for cooperative action games.”

Introducing the AI Director 2.0, L4D’s dynamic gameplay is taken to the next level by giving the Director the ability to procedurally change weather effects, world objects, and pathways in addition to tailoring the enemy population, effects, and sounds to match the players’ performance. The result is a unique game session custom fitted to provide a satisfying and uniquely challenging experience each time the game is played.

Featuring new Survivors, boss zombies, weapons, and items, Left 4 Dead 2 offers a much larger game than the original with more co-operative campaigns, more Versus campaigns, and maps for Survival mode available at launch.

Supported by a $10+ million marketing campaign, Left 4 Dead has sold over 2.5 million retail copies since it was released in November of 2008. Left 4 Dead 2 is targeted for release on Xbox 360 and the PC on November 17, 2009, and will be launched worldwide with a multi-million dollar marketing campaign across TV, Outdoor, and Online.

“Left 4 Dead was backed by our most aggressive advertising campaign to date, and resulted in a top 5 showing on two platforms during holiday 2008,” said Doug Lombardi, VP of marketing at Valve. “Left 4 Dead 2 is a larger game and will be supported with even more consumer and retail advertising programs than the original.”

Left 4 Dead 2 characters fighting for life
Valve’s Chet Faliszek, known as one of the writers on the dialog in Left 4 Dead and Portal, was recently interviewed about the future of the Left 4 Dead franchise and what it was like working on the shooter.

He mainly talks about how the upcoming downloadable content would include more versus stories, but then switches to an interesting comment about the storyline of the game and what we presume to be that of the sequel, Left 4 Dead 2. To quote: “The backstory, in a way, would have to be something different. I don’t wanna play the backstory in a game, like where the infection came from and stuff.

Uhm, but I think we definitely have plans to continue on talking about the infection, the world. Because that’s the interesting thing right? How the world reacts to it, how it all falls apart or pulls together. (Let’s gonna go out there and fight! Alright!) But some people (I think) are of the mind that they wanted a little more story, some (you know) seeing the bulk of you are happy with the way it was told. So I think our plan is to just keep updating the game. Keep exploring the world and what’s going on in it.”

I don’t know about you, but count me in for more co-op action! — Hear the full interview over at Kotaku.

Update: Now that the game’s been released, check out our Left 4 Dead 2 codes guide for PC.

Categories: News, PC News, Xbox 360 News

Tom

i love l4d but it would have been better if at the save house it saves so if you went out you could continue from there and defo more guns and more infected and be able to create a surivor would be good
Rob

I would like if u could walk/run and heal @ the same time. And involve the screamer, that u guys origanally had. Also, the create a survivor, espically different guns, and pipe bombs, molatovs, grenades, flares and dynamite. But all the other ideas were great.
Brandon

Left 4 Dead is one of my favorite games…but it would be cool if there were more special infected and it would be awesome if u could create youre own survivor to look like you!!!…I also think it should be a little bit harder to find the safe rooms!
lewis

left 4 dead was awesome and a sequal would be first on my list for xmas more special infected would be pretty sweet along with a larger arsenal library.but i would like the idea to be able to TURN INTO A ZOMBIE AFTER YOU ARE KILLED !!! that would be pretty sweet
justin

i love l4d but if they create a sequal it would be awsome if you could do your own thing to kill the zombies like creating your own wepons and not have a set path its like one big town and you have to go around and exterminate all of the infected in the town and get to pick ur side wether infected or survivor and you get to create what the survivor or the infected looks like. and you should still be able to go in help houses. But during the day you can go around and find supplies but the infected can still hide in dark places so you still have to be careful (kinda like “I Am Legend” how they hid in that dark building) you should also be able to go in stores and find ammo like you are actually in the game. and you could go to army bases and get guns or find stuff at buildings to create your own gun.you shoul be able to be infected when your bit. i think the game would be sooooo scary and also sooo real if you were actually in a situation like that.
justin

I hope the l4d team makes a sequal after what we’ve all said.
justin

send me an email a ju5t1n96@yahoo.com if you like what i said.
http://myspace.com/wadeheidbreder Wade

OK, Left 4 Dead is an awesome game, we all know that. I think that the create-a-character option would be pretty cool for Left 2 Die, Left 4 Dead 2, whatever. As far as guns go, I think they’re fine the way they are, but maybe add dual revolvers that take longer to reload but are more effective. Making modern day cities or towns would be huge to VaLve. I think that adding the cutscenes of getting from No Mercy to Death Toll (originally deleted from Left 4 Dead) would actually be better for the gamer to know how they got there. As far as learning about the infection, it doesnt matter. Adding a Rocket Launcher would be cool, for 1 person to hold it and moves slower but when the Tank comes they can blast it to bits. There should also be struggle options for when the Smoker gets you. Maybe pull out a knife and quickly tap X or something?

Great work with the zombies, great job on the game.
xavier

input new special infected and have at least 6 campaigns to play for the next left for dead.

now it can worth 60 bucks.

for the rest of the game, left for dead is well balanced.
joakim

Hey l4d is a awsome game but its hate you cant play 4 on same xbox 360 and the bit is totaly stupid.
if left 4 dead 2 come make the bot smarte maby they can use molotove and more and some more character. 4 new humandas at every campain is not that wow recuse is here we get in and w00t we chrased now we need to get to the car.
more humands more guns smarter bot and more left 4 dead game =)