It’s that time again, when folks get all excited about the whisperings of a potential upcoming Valve game release. Despite the developer’s clear disdain for the number “3,” many gamers are keeping their fingers crossed for some kind of big reveal.
The latest Valve rumors point towards Left 4 Dead 3. Even our cynical staffers have grown curious at the hints popping up on Reddit and across social media. First, there’s the Left 4 Dead 2 Facebook page, which shows what appears to be a zombified hand with three fingers, and then there’s the recent CS: GO patch notes, which include a line about an “ashtray for smokers.”
If you head over to the Left 4 Dead website and click the Facebook icon, you’ll end up on the Left 4 Dead 2 Facebook page, which now shows the name of Valve’s Ted Carson. Look at the banner image and you’ll see a hand with three fingers. This looks similar to the hands used for the original Left 4 Dead and its sequel.
The hand could be photoshopped, and the Facebook page hijacked, as suggested by @SteamDB on Twitter:
We don’t see any things pointing towards the new page actually being official. It’s possible a troll hijacked the URL and picked Ted Carson’s name from previous L4D3 related leaks to come across as believable.
— Steam Database (@SteamDB) February 11, 2018
However, there’s another tease out there!
As pointed out by Joe Parlock on Twitter, the recent CS: GO patch notes hold the next clue, with the curious “ashtray for smokers” line. Smokers are one of the main Left 4 Dead enemies. This could be another tease for a sequel!
Canals:
- Closed off windows overlooking courtyard and A
- Cleaned up sightline from corner balcony toward A and Arch
- Made CT route to B more direct
- Joined two rooms on CT side of B into one space
- Simplified cover on back side of B
- Removed Ivy “laddice”, now a skill jump / boost spot
- Grenade-clipped CT bridge railings for more predictable smokes
- Moved courtyard statues forward for cleaner sightline
- Added ashtray for smokers
- Re-released and updated the Phoenix Compound co-op map on the workshop.
- Updated Cache and Shipped to the latest versions. Details can be found on the workshop pages.
Obviously, Valve knows the value of hype, and how crazy the internet becomes whenever it gets a whiff of a Half-Life 3 rumor. If a game was in the works, I think it’s likely that Valve would use Left 4 Dead ARG to help build excitement, embedding clues into websites, patch notes, the Steam marketplace, and elsewhere. I reckon this is just the beginning, and we’ll soon see more ARG teasers… Or, it could all be a wind-up by a successful troll!
