Everything we know about the co-op zombie bloodbath Back 4 Blood

The bad news? Left 4 Dead 3 will probably never happen. The good news? Developer Turtle Rock Studios is back, and they're looking to top themselves with a new four-player co-op "zombie" (they're called Ridden, but c'mon) shooter called Back 4 Blood. The game was first announced in 2019 but didn't receive a full reveal until the Game Awards in December 2020.

Back 4 Blood supposedly improves upon everything beloved about the original Left 4 Dead series, throwing in ample gusto and everything the developer learned while making Evolve. It features some entirely new gameplay systems too, so it’s not just a straight copy of the zombie classic.

Here's everything we know about Back 4 Blood.

When is the Back 4 Blood release date?

Black 4 Blood was originally scheduled to release on June 22, 2021. However, it was delayed (like many games in 2021) and will now launch on October 12 instead. While that’s a slight bummer, that does mean it’ll launch right before Halloween, and you’ll still be able to play the game before then. An open beta is scheduled to happen sometime this summer, though we don’t know the exact date yet. You can register for upcoming betas right here.

What are the Back 4 Blood platforms?

When it launches, Back 4 Blood will be available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.

Is there a Back 4 Blood trailer?

Yes! You can watch it below with both eyes.

From the trailer, we can see that this is very early in the outbreak as the trailer begins with the outbreak. We can see there will be at least four survivors to play. We can also spot a few Ridden varieties, notably a four-armed Ridden and a behemoth Ridden creature.

Is there Back 4 Blood gameplay?

Yes! You can watch the gameplay below.

From the gameplay, we can see that gunplay will be rather similar to what was found in the Left 4 Dead series. We can also hear that sass has not been left on the cutting room floor. Each character is sassy in a fun way, much like the dynamics found in the Left 4 Dead franchise.

Back 4 Blood also features a card system, which is different from Left 4 Dead. At the start of each round, players assemble a deck of cards that grant different bonuses to stats like health and damage. Corruption cards can be drawn against players as well, which add negative effects to the round. That could cause an effect like increasing the number of zombies on the map.

What's the Black 4 Blood story?

"The story takes place after a catastrophic outbreak where most of humanity has either been killed or infected by the parasitic Devil Worm. Hardened by unspeakable events and emboldened to fight for the last of humanity, a group of apocalypse veterans called the Cleaners have rallied to take on the infected horrors known as the Ridden and reclaim the world," says the Back 4 Blood press release.

You can play story mode either by yourself or with up to three friends.

Who are the Back 4 Blood characters?

Back 4 Blood features a list of playable characters called “Cleaners.” Each character has their own story and abilities. For example, Doc is a medic character with a low health healing bonus and team trauma resistance. There are eight Cleaners in total.

• Holly
• Walker
• Doc
• Karlee
• Jim
• Hoffman
• Evangelo
• Mom

We also know a couple of the enemy types in the game. The zombies here are called Ridden and come in a few different flavors. For example, the Snitcher is a long-necked creature that alerts other Ridden to your location. So far, we’ve seen Breakers, Ogres, Snitchers, and Hags. There are more enemy types that have yet to be revealed.

How many people can play Back 4 Blood together?

If you're playing co-op mode, you can play in up to a party of four. There's also a PvP multiplayer mode that supports up to eight players. In the multiplayer, you'll play as either a Ridden or a survivor and attempt to eradicate the other side. It's unknown how this will be balanced, but it could be an asymmetrical multiplayer experience like Turtle Rock's previous game, Evolve.

Is Back 4 Blood connected to Left 4 Dead?

No, Back 4 Blood is a brand new series. It features the same developers as the Left 4 Dead series, but the connective tissue ends there. Think of it more as a spiritual successor than a connected sequel.