In terms of gameplay and design, Back 4 Blood feels like what a Left 4 Dead 3 would've been like. While some longtime fans may be disappointed there's no Left 4 Dead 3, the recent Back 4 Blood beta has proved just how much Back 4 Blood and Left 4 Dead are similar, despite some PvP differences and the lack of a campaign.

Related: Back 4 Blood's Beta Popularity Is Great News For Turtle Rock Because of the similarities, many have since wondered just how much Back 4 Blood would resemble a potential Left 4 Dead 3. Given the Left 4 Dead franchise's second installment has enjoyed remarkable staying power long after the zombie genre peaked in the early 2010s, it would've made perfect sense for Valve to unveil a modernized take on the four-player co-op horror games. To many, Turtle Rock's Back 4 Blood trailer may have seemed like just that, as it featured four wise-cracking characters, each with a different weapon hordes of zombies and several overpowered mutants, a la the Tank and Charger and Left 4 Dead's signature gameplay, which emphasizes constant progression as much as gut-blasting carnage. So, why isn't the game just called Left 4 Dead 3? First revealed during The Game Awards 2020, the trailer for Back 4 Blood came with all the familiar Left 4 Dead ingredients, only to drop the similar-but-different Back 4 Blood title card at the end. For the better part of a decade, gamers have anticipated an announcement for Left 4 Dead 3, but a spiritual successor known as Back 4 Blood will be coming out soon instead.

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