While Evolve may not have been the sales success that Turtle Rock Studios had hoped for, the studio quickly pivoted back to the style of game that originally helped put it on the map. Back 4 Blood, a co-op shooter originally revealed back in 2019, gave most fans strong Left 4 Dead vibes something which wasn't lost on the studio. As a spiritual successor to Valve's popular franchise, Back 4 Blood looks to carry forward a lot of the things that made those games so noteworthy.
Following an Alpha test a few months back, many fans have begun to call the game an unofficial Left 4 Dead 3. During the alpha, players were able to see a number of familiar elements including special zombie types like the Hocker and Retch as well as experience a new form of The Director, an AI behind the scenes that dynamically alters the experience of each match based on how players are doing. Items, level-pacing, and even enemy spawn rates could all change at the flip of a coin based on player behavior.
While the Alpha has long since finished, it's likely that most players likely missed out on it as it was a closed test that only allowed a select few in based on those who registered. Thankfully, even more players will still have another opportunity to check out the game before launch. Turtle Rock announced that Back 4 Blood will be getting an open beta test this summer, which should give everyone the opportunity they missed in December.
While specific dates weren't announced, there are potentially more opportunities for early access. Those who are interested in playing early before the open beta can register on the official Back 4 Blood website. While nothing is set at the moment, Turtle Rock has let players know on Twitter that it's always looking for more recruits, teasing that more closed opportunities could be happening before the game's launch.
Of course, the big reason why this open beta was announced is due to the unfortunate news that Back 4 Blood has been delayed. Earlier today, the studio put out a Tweet acknowledging that the game needs more time in order to reach the goals set by the studio. Details were a bit slim, but the ultimate reveal was that the game's launch date was pushed back to October 12. While the delay is unfortunate, the release date at least puts it closer to Halloween which should please fans who want to get into the spirit of the season.
Back 4 Blood releases on October 12th for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
