The big promise of Back 4 Blood over previous co-op shooters like Left 4 Dead is the game's live-service support and layers of progression. Left 4 Dead players already play the same content week to week, so it makes sense to reward them for that and roll out fresh experiences to keep them coming back for more. Back 4 Blood, however, didn't cover all of the ways that Left 4 Dead players like to play. Namely, solo players are locked out of these progression systems. That's going to be changing in December, however.
Developer Turtle Rock has shared its roadmap for the near future of Back 4 Blood, detailing update plans for November and December, as well as more general goals for 2022. One particularly exciting bullet point listed for December's updates is regarding solo play. Turtle Rock plans to implement solo offline play with campaign progression, a major shift from the current design of Back 4 Blood's offline solo play.
Since launch, solo play in Back 4 Blood has been disconnected from the game's progression systems. That means no Supply Points, no stat tracking, and no progress toward Accomplishments. Players instead of access to a range of content that online players earn through achievement and challenge, which was rewarding in its own way but effectively split multiplayer and solo into two entirely different experiences with no tangible crossover.
Exactly what Turtle Rock's plans are in its upcoming patch aren't yet clear. "Campaign progression" could mean a variety of things, however. Taken at its most literal, the addition of "campaign progression" likely means solo play will remain entirely detached from online multiplayer and its progression systems. It would instead lead to a new, separate progression path. Back 4 Blood players will likely want something more substantial, like a way to earn Supply Points. Turtle Rock may not be comfortable with that, however.
In Turtle Rock's defense, it acknowledged that players were frustrated with Back 4 Blood's solo options early. A Twitter post on October 8 said that Turtle Rock "heard your frustrations," and that the team was "discussing ways to address the issue." The December update will be the product of months of planning and work from Turtle Rock.
Back 4 Blood players hungry for new content will be happy to see more than just solo mode changes coming in December. Turtle Rock will also be adding new cards with a new card type, new Supply Lines to progress through, a practice area, and even a seasonal event. For a more substantial content update, the Tunnels of Terror expansion is tentatively planned for 2022.
Back 4 Blood is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
