Back 4 Blood Announces Open Beta
They say four heads are better than one, and that definitely seems to be the mantra of Turtle Rock Studios' Back 4 Blood. There's more co-op carnage in this spiritual successor to the studio's Left 4 Dead. While Valve delivered Left 4 Dead 2 in 2009, the franchise has slowly crawled to the grave and left several of the OG Left 4 Dead creators to dream up Back 4 Blood.
Turtle Rock famously split from Valve in 2010, and although it has continued to churn out titles like Evolve and Face Your Fears, Back 4 Blood is a nod back to the old days. With a planned release date of October 12, Turtle Rock has given fans a treat and formally announced when the Back 4 Blood open beta will debut.
When is the Back 4 Blood open beta?
A new trailer for Back 4 Blood gave us a closer look at what to expect from the game but also delivered the surprise reveal of the title's open beta. The open beta will officially launch on August 12 and run for just four days until August 16. By the looks of it, this is the only window you'll have to try Back 4 Blood before having to stump up for the full copy.
If you're one of the clever ones that pre-ordered Back 4 Blood, the beta will be a little different and start on August 5 (running until August 9). Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment said you can register at the official Back 4 Blood website if you want to access open beta, but be warned "limited" codes mean you aren't guaranteed a place on the list.
What else do we know about Back 4 Blood?
In Back 4 Blood, you play as one of eight zombie-killing veterans called "Cleaners". As either Walker, Holly, Hoffman, Evangelo, Karlee, Doc, Jim, or Mom, it's your job to wipe out the "Ridden" in a post-apocalyptic world that's thought to have been ravaged by an alien parasite.
It's all pretty standard zombie co-op fodder, with Back 4 Blood taking more than a few cues from Left 4 Dead. Alongside the four-player co-operative mode, there's an even more chaotic eight-person PVP mode. Still, Back 4 Blood looks like it's a return to form for Turtle Rock.
The latest trailer also gave players a glimpse at a new boss called the Breaker. This massive rock-like zombie has the ability to jump around the map and decimate your team. While the Breaker has glowing hotspots that are presumably weak points, don't underestimate the sheer power of this beast.
Aside from that, we know Back 4 Blood is coming to PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, with full cross-play and cross-gen support. WB has promised to showcase the title's PvP at 10pm GMT on Sunday, June 13, so tune in on the official Back 4 Blood channels.
Images via Turtle Rock Studios