Back 4 Blood has swiftly become one of 2021’s most anticipated game launches, and it’s easy to see why. Unveiled back in December during The Game Awards 2020, the title, a multiplayer first-person shooter, is in development under Turtle Rock and slated to arrive this Halloween following confirmation of a short delay earlier this year. To make up for this later-than-initially-advertised ETA, the studio is holding a number of open betas throughout the summer, with the first scheduled for August.
Still a sizable wait ahead, then, though considering its tenure as Valve South (later rebranded as Turtle Rock after regaining independence) resulted in the creation of the original Left 4 Dead, it’s safe to assume that this spiritual successor is in the right hands—even if there are still some lingering concerns. Chief among these, as confirmed to be the case off the cuff during a recent exchange with fans on social media, is that Back 4 Blood won’t be playable without an internet connection.
Not exactly an ideal situation for anyone intending to take on the undead hordes primarily via couch co-op (or with unreliable internet, for that matter) but not a decision unheard of in modern gaming. The developer has set a precedent in the past, of course, what with Left 4 Dead affording players the opportunity to take their adventures offline, but that won’t be possible here, at least not from launch. “We’re looking into ways we could support offline for the future” reads the statement, though no definitive date is given here, so fans will just have to wait and see.
Back 4 Blood is out October 12th for Xbox One, Series X|S, PS4, PS5 and PC. Is today’s news a dealbreaker for you? Let us know in the usual place below.
