There are still several months of patient waiting required until the full version of Back 4 Blood launches, but Turtle Rock has plenty planned to tide you over until the summer gives way to fall. As announced last year, the developer intends to hold numerous beta tests between now and release, with the first due to kick as soon as next week, August 5th.
This is the date on which everyone who pre-ordered the spiritual successor to Valve’s Left 4 Dead will be able to jump in-game and start exterminating the Ridden, with unconditional play due to follow one week later on August 12th. Both of these trial periods will run for four days in total, meaning those who have already secured their copy of the co-op shooter will have just over a week to slay the undead and other monstrous entities lurking in the shadows.
While its status as a beta means a large portion of content will be absent or blocked off, Turtle Rock is promising a wealth of options, including unfettered access to two player vs. environment maps. Likewise, an equal number of levels for those who prefer to compete against fellow gamers will be available, with 5 playable Cleaners (the survivors’ team) and 6 Ridden variants also present and accounted for. All weapons and gear, as well as Fort Hope – a communal hub – will be thrown in for good measure, too.
Back 4 Blood is out October 12th for Xbox One, Series X|S, PS4, PS5 and PC, and will feature full cross-play/cross-gen support. For a quick primer on how to get the most out of early access without getting bogged down by character progressions systems, see here.