A Back 4 Blood sequel from Turtle Rock Studios could be coming to gamers in the future to expand on the first person shooter franchise. It has been two years since Warner Bros. Games published Back 4 Blood, which is considered a spiritual successor to the Left 4 Dead series. Now, after three expansions and an announcement concluding support for the game, Turtle Rock Studios is focusing on a new project.
A recent job listing has indicated a sequel may be exactly the direction the company is headed. A Back 4 Blood sequel would certainly be favored among fans, as the previous game received positive reviews from gamers and critics alike. The zombie multiplayer felt like a call back to the classic games of the early 2000’s for many players, while also bringing a whole new experience to the table. Players took on the war against the Ridden and searched through the ruins of remaining civilization for answers. A new title in the series could further these answers and bring gamers back to this exciting player versus environment experience.
How the Turtle Rock Studios Job Listing Hints At A Back 4 Blood Sequel
The job listing at Turtle Rock Studios is for a Senior Combat Designer position, which makes it appear that a Back 4 Blood sequel really is in the works:
“At Turtle Rock, we make the games we want to play. We’re dedicated to providing a collaborative environment where our team members feel empowered with the creative freedom to contribute and grow. While we are based in Orange County, CA, we support flexible work arrangements ranging from in-studio, hybrid, to fully remote throughout North America. Join our award-winning game development team and help create our next AAA title.
We are looking for an experienced Senior Combat Designer to join our team and help make exciting, cutting edge games. As a Senior Combat Designer with Turtle Rock Studios, you will be responsible for designing and implementing intuitive mechanics that enhance the players experience and replayability. Ideally, you are someone experienced with combat/weapons, class design, skills, and boss encounters. You will collaborate closely with the Design Director, other disciplines, and will work alongside other game designers to help create an innovative and engaging AAA combat experience for our players. This position will report to the Lead Game Designer.”
What observant gamers have pointed out about these opening paragraphs is that a Back 4 Blood sequel would be a AAA title and it would include things like: class design, skills, weapons, and major boss encounters.
The next section of the job listing talks about responsibilities and lists three promising bullet points:
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“Design and develop combat gameplay, including player movement, controls, and camera from concept to completion, with a focus on how combat gameplay feels against AI and other players.
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Developing, maintaining, and polishing game controller experience.
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Work with the maps team to ensure mission layouts and gameplay synergizes with the player combat loop.”
A Back 4 Blood sequel would certainly want to focus on gameplay that revolves around AI and online players. It would make sense that a future title would direct more focus on narrative, giving players a complete campaign. Games have started moving more toward cinematic storytelling and this might be the future of a Back 4 Blood franchise.
The requirements section includes two more interesting points:
- “5+ years of experience in game development with one or more shipped titles on multiple platforms
- Love of games: specifically FPS, Co-op, and Multiplayer games”
As previously stated, Back 4 Blood is a first person shooter, which incorporates multiplayer modes into its primary story. These qualifications point to a very similar style of gameplay, which indicates we may be looking at a project set in the same world.
There is also a preferences category which references:
- “Experience with UE4/5 and Blueprint
- Experience developing first person shooting and melee gameplay”
It would be unsurprising if a Back 4 Blood sequel used Unreal Engine 5, given the fact that the previous title used Unreal Engine 4. And the description of first person shooting and melee is another hopeful note for more zombie action to come.
Although there is no way of knowing for sure if this upcoming project is in fact a Back 4 Blood sequel, the job listing certainly has all of the qualifications required for someone working on such a project. Until an official announcement, fans will have to continue to speculate over what is next for AAA title developer.
What do you think of the possibility for a Back 4 Blood sequel? Do you think Turtle Rock Studios is preparing for round two, or could this next project be something completely new? Leave a comment and let us know what you think.
Source: Turtle Rock Studios/VeryAli Gaming
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