Back 4 Blood has been delayed until October 12, promises open beta this Summer

News
By Zachary Boddy
published

People will have to wait a little bit longer for Back 4 Blood.

Back 4 Blood Gameplay Demo
Back 4 Blood Gameplay Demo (Image credit: WB Games)

What you need to know

  • Back 4 Blood is the spiritual revival of the long-dormant Left 4 Dead co-op zombie-survival franchise.
  • Developed by Turtle Rock Studios, Back 4 Blood has made great impressions with early impressions in closed tests.
  • Today, Turtle Rock Studios has announced its decision to delay Back 4 Blood until October 12, 2021.
  • While the game isn't launching when planned, Turtle Rock Studios has promised an open beta test this Summer instead.

Few franchises have such an overpowering sense of nostalgia as the legendary Left 4 Dead franchise. Fans of this co-op zombie-slayer franchise have been left without a new entry for over a decade - but that's about to change. Turtle Rock Studios, the developer of the original Left 4 Dead games, is returning with Back 4 Blood, a spiritual successor to Left 4 Dead. Back 4 Blood was supposed to land in June of this year. Unfortunately, Turtle Rock Studios announced today that Back 4 Blood is being delayed. A new release date of October 12, 2021, has been set.

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Game delays are becoming increasingly common in 2021 due to the shifting nature of work for game developers, so this move isn't too surprising. Still, the decision to delay Back 4 Blood will inevitably disappoint many excited players. For those players, Turtle Rock Studios has promised an open beta test sometime this Summer.

In our Back 4 Blood Closed Alpha preview, we were optimistic that Back 4 Blood could come together as a fantastic spiritual follow-up to the Left 4 Dead series. It's still too early to tell, but Back 4 Blood could deliver on its promises and become one of the best Xbox games around.

Back 4 Blood Reco BoxStill coming
Back 4 BLood (Pre-order)

You can still pre-order it.

Back 4 Blood may have been delayed, but interested players can still pre-order it. Turtle Rock Studios has returned to breathe new life into the formula that made the Left 4 Dead franchise legendary. Early impressions indicate Back 4 Blood may be exactly what players have been waiting for.

Zachary Boddy
Zachary Boddy
Staff Writer

Zachary Boddy (They / Them) is a Staff Writer for Windows Central, primarily focused on covering the latest news in tech and gaming, the best Xbox and PC games, and the most interesting Windows and Xbox hardware. They have been gaming and writing for most of their life starting with the original Xbox, and started out as a freelancer for Windows Central and its sister sites in 2019. Now a full-fledged Staff Writer, Zachary has expanded from only writing about all things Minecraft to covering practically everything on which Windows Central is an expert, especially when it comes to Microsoft. You can find Zachary on Twitter @BoddyZachary.