Despite identical gameplay, character styles, and dialogue, Left 4 Dead's spiritual successor, Back 4 Blood, has a different name for several reasons.
For eight long years, gamers have been waiting for the day when Valve will finally announce the release of Left 4 Dead 3. For those who did not know about Back 4 Blood, it seemed that this moment had finally come at The Game Awards 2020. Developer Turtle Rock is there Studios released a trailer with all the familiar Left 4 Dead ingredients, only tossing in a similar but different Back 4 Blood title card at the end. But why not just call the game Left 4 Dead 3?
Except it wasn't exactly Left 4 Dead. Instead, the trailer was a preview of the almost identically named Back 4 Blood, a spiritual successor from many of the developers behind the original Left 4 Dead. Back 4 Blood was originally announced in March 2019, but it was at The Game Awards that the public saw the game for the first time. However, especially with such similar gameplay and a title with a number four in the middle, many fans are probably wondering why this isn't just part of a classic Valve franchise.
Back 4 Blood is similar to Left 4 Dead 3 in name only
The first reason is clear: earlier this year, Valve explicitly stated that a full-fledged Left 4 Dead 3 was not in development, despite many rumors to the contrary that have been circulating for years. Aside from the standard jokes about Valve not being able to make a third game for any of its franchises, it would be an odd move for a studio to discourage players from hoping for a particular game and then confirm its existence almost a year later.
Valve also recently released the first major update for Left 4 Dead 2 in eight years. Featuring an all-new campaign, 20 new survival maps, new mutations, and new melee weapons, this update was made in collaboration with the community. This desire to give fans what they want can be seen as a replacement for the actual third game, so it wouldn't make much sense for a numbered sequel to come right after it.
More importantly, Back 4 Blood is not being created by Valve itself. Rather, it is a product of Turtle Rock Studios, which was founded in 2002 and acquired by Valve in 2008. For the short period during which she released the first Left 4 Dead, Turtle Rock was renamed Valve South. However, a rift in coordination led to a rift between Valve and the studio, resulting in Valve South spun off and renamed Turtle Rock as a new independent company in 2010. Even after the split, Turtle Rock retained many of the developers of the original L4D on its staff.
If not for this discrepancy, perhaps Left 4 Dead 3 would have been presented at The Game Awards 2020. However, be that as it may, Back 4 Blood is probably a more appropriate step forward. The Spiritual Sequel is a chance to both escape the fatigue of the franchise and at the same time give fans an updated iteration of the gameplay they've loved for years.
