For some, The Game Awards 2020 was the first time they’ve heard of Turtle Rock Studios, the studio behind Back 4 Blood, but they’ve been around for the better part of two decades.
They Were Acquired By Valve
Turtle Rock Studios were only contracted by Valve to work on the Xbox versions of Half-Life 2: Deathmatch and Counter-Strike: Source. After coming up with an idea for a cooperative zombie game, they pitched it to Valve, who allowed them to work on the game between 2006 and its release in 2008. During the development of Left 4 Dead, Valve decided to purchase them.
Their Relationship Didn’t Last Long
Soon after the purchase, Turtle Rock Studios became dissatisfied with Valve for a number of reasons and decided to split. Unfortunately, this split came at the cost of Turtle Rock Studios’ Left 4 Dead franchise in exchange for Turtle Rock to keep its name. After a failed stint with the publisher THQ and Perfect World Entertainment (and a nominally successful run with their Evolve title), they finally moved on to Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment Led To the Creations of Back 4 Blood
There’s no doubt that the Left 4 Dead games were the biggest titles for Turtle Rock Studios, and they knew they had to go the route of a spiritual successor. While they cannot use any of the Left 4 Dead properties, Back 4 Blood will be its own intellectual property in the spirit of the Left 4 Dead games.
Are you excited for the spiritual successor to Left 4 Dead with Back 4 Blood?
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