Mutations

April 21, 2010 - L4D Team

The Passing introduces a series of weekly game mode events dubbed "Mutations." These are week-long runs of new gameplay modes that range from "Realism Versus" to "Chainsaw Massacre". Each week one new Mutation is featured and the previous Mutation retired.

Every Thursday the new in-game blog will let you know of the upcoming Mutation. Once a month we will have a poll to vote on your favorite Mutation. The winning Mutation will return the following week.

Our first Mutation is Realism Versus.

For this Mutation, Survivors have all the Realism changes working against them, no glows on items or survivors, tougher zombies, instant kill witches, etc. The Infected have all those changes working for them. This makes the Jockey one of the most powerful Specials for his ability to steer a Survivor out of view. You will want to make sure you have a working microphone so your teammates can hear your screams for help. This Mutation is only available in Versus.

Another example of an upcoming Mutation is Chainsaw Massacre. You are armed with the only thing you need to survive a Zombie Apocalypse: a chainsaw with unlimited gas. Rip apart thousands of zombies on your way to safety. This Mutation will be available later and only in Campaign Mode.

To learn about the other Mutations, you will have to check the in-game blog each week. What we can tell you now is the Mutations will cover different game modes and be available across all Campaigns.

To give us feedback on the individual Mutations and Mutations in general visit the Left 4 Dead 2 forums at forums.l4d.com.

The Passing, Coming April 22

April 20, 2010 - L4D Team

The first game add-on for Left 4 Dead 2 brings the original Left 4 Dead (L4D1) Survivors down south for a meeting with the L4D2 cast, while delivering new single-player, multiplayer and co-operative gameplay for the PC and Xbox 360.

The Passing also introduces a series of weekly game mode events dubbed "Mutations." These week-long runs of new gameplay modes range from "Realism Versus" mode to "Chainsaw Massacre," which gives all players chainsaws with an unlimited supply of gasoline. There are over 20 Mutations planned, each playable on all L4D2 Campaigns. Mutations are exclusively available to owners of "The Passing" DLC.

In addition, "The Passing" offers a new co-operative challenge mode of play, support for infected bot play in Versus, a new "uncommon common" zombie class (the fallen survivor), melee weapon (golf club), and firearm (M-60).

Available for 560 Microsoft Points on Xbox 360 and free on the PC, "The Passing" takes place just after the Dead Center campaign of L4D2. Set in a small town in rural Georgia, players assume the role of the L4D2 Survivors as they meet with the L4D1 characters.

Exclusively available for Xbox 360 and the PC, L4D2 sets a new benchmark for co-operative action games. The title adds melee combat to enable deeper co-operative gameplay, with items such as a chainsaws, frying pans, axes, baseball bats, and more.

With the AI Director 2.0, L4D's dynamic gameplay is taken to the next level by giving the Director the ability to procedurally change weather effects, world objects, and pathways in addition to tailoring the enemy population, effects, and sounds to match the players' performance. The result is a unique game session custom fitted to provide a satisfying and uniquely challenging experience each time the game is played.

Finally, with new Survivors, boss zombies, weapons, and items, Left 4 Dead 2 offers a much larger game than the original, featuring more co-operative campaigns, more Versus campaigns, new Survival maps, and the new competitive game mode, Scavenge.

To celebrate the launch of "The Passing" DLC this Thursday Valve employees will be playing on the PC between 11am-5pm PDT and then on the 360 from 7pm-11pm PDT using special accounts. To play with someone from Valve just friend one of the following:

On PC:
L4D2_DEV_1, L4D2_DEV_2, L4D2_DEV_3, L4D2_DEV_4, L4D2_DEV_5, L4D2_DEV_6, L4D2_DEV_7, L4D2_DEV8, L4D2_DEV_9, L4D2_DEV_10

On the Xbox 360:
L4D2 DEV 1, L4D2 DEV 2, L4D2 DEV 3, L4D2 DEV 4, L4D2 DEV 5, L4D2 DEV 6, L4D2 DEV 7, L4D2 DEV 8, L4D2 DEV 9, L4D2 DEV 10

Passing an Achievement

April 19, 2010 - L4D Team

With "The Passing" due out soon on the PC and Xbox 360, we figured we'd whet your appetite with a rundown of the new Achievements you'll be able to earn later this week.

Let's start with the straight-forward ones we'd be crazy not to include: Surviving the campaign, playing some Scavenge, using the new weapons, playing a Midnight Riders song, and smashing up some Survivors with a Charger.

Alright. Now onto the spoilery ones. Some of these might not make sense until you play The Passing--like "Cache Grab", which involves foot lockers, a new addition to the Left 4 Dead 2 universe.

Okay. So we know one of the original Left 4 Dead Survivors is off shooting zombies in Heaven--but what are the other three up to? Covering your ass.

The "Grave Robber" achievement ties into another addition to the L4D2 universe, in the form of a new Uncommon Common: the Fallen Survivor.

And of course, we saved the best for last: the "Mutant Overlord" achievement, which you can only get by playing six Mutations.

Right about now you might be asking yourself, "What in the hell is a Mutation?" "Why do I have to play six of them?" "Are there more than six?" "Where's that smell coming from?" All good questions. Look for most of the answers in our Wednesday blog post.

Worlds Collide!

April 16, 2010 - L4D Team

Celebrating the pending release of "The Passing" and the Left 4 Dead 1 and Left 4 Dead 2 teams colliding, we have a few other world colliding events to announce.

First up, the Midnight Riders collide with Rock Band. The gang over at Harmonix have released two Midnight Riders's songs for Rock Band! You can check them out here and download them in game to play in the comfort of your own home. "The Passing" will feature a brand new slow power ballad; "Save Me Some Sugar".

What happens when a 1939 film classic collides with Left 4 Dead? Check out Agnostes' awesome Left 4 Dead campaign poster he made for a Wizard of Oz concept art contest to find out.

What happens when Half-Life 2: Episode one collides with Left 4 Dead 2? Mixmedia's City 17. Alyx would be proud.

What about TF2 and L4D2 colliding? That would be Jsparakov's Badwater Basin map. And for worlds colliding into worlds colliding, check-out TF2's and Sam & Max's collision currently going on.

So enough worlds colliding, when is "The Passing" coming out? Well... if it was coming out next week we would say right here - Left 4 Dead 2's The Passing is coming out next week and we will be updating the blog next week with more news on the release. There you go.

Passing the Savings on to You

March 23, 2010 - L4D Team

That's right, Internet blog readers! It's tax season here at Valve, and we need to CLEAR OUT our digital warehouses! What does that mean for you? How about the award-winning Left 4 Dead 2, now available for 50% off the original price? (March 23rd to March 25th)

But there's more! We are SLASHING the prices on ALL of Left 4 Dead 2, including 4 packs!

Here's what you'll get!

4 Exciting New Survivors!
5 New Expansive Campaigns!
The Maddeningly Mad Mustachio!
10 Rocking New Melee Weapons!
3 New Super Special Infected!
5 Crazy New Uncommon Common!
10 Deadly New Weapons!
1 Gnarly New Gnome!
The Diabolical Director 2.0!
Explosive Fireworks!
Gross Boomer Bile!
110% More Midnight Riders!
Addictive New Achievements!
All new Game Mode; Scavenge!
All your old favorites and MORE!

But hold on, 'cause we ain't done! Coming out this Spring for Left 4 Dead 2 is the brand new DLC "The Passing", which contains:

A Wicked Witch Bride!
A Gargantuan M60!
A Slashing Golf Club!
And Introducing The Fallen Survivor!
Meet 3 Left 4 Dead 1 Survivors!
New Game Modes!

Was that a typo? Game Modes? Didn't we mean Game MODE? Did we mean to include that "S"?!?!?

YES WE DID!

This sale ends Thursday! so RUN, don't walk, to where you are already sitting reading this, and buy your copy of Left 4 Dead 2 TODAY!