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Back 4 Blood content will cease, as Turtle Rock shifts focus

The developer recently confirmed the game's December expansion would be the final nail in the coffin.
back 4 blood game ends development

Back 4 Blood will not get any new content in 2023, developer Turtle Rock has confirmed. Despite being released in late 2021, it appears support for the game has now ended – with its December 2022 expansion, River of Blood, becoming the official final chapter in the survival adventure.

Since its launch, the game has received three major expansions which added new survivors, gameplay modes, and maps. These helped to keep the action fresh, and introduced new players into increasingly tense, zombie-filled sessions. Despite high praise from critics and fans alike, it appears Back 4 Blood is now on the path to sunsetting.

According to Turtle Rock, service and support for the game will remain – but a large portion of its development team will now turn their attempt to the next major project for the studio. This is a result of the developer being ‘pretty small’ and not because it’s ‘goodbye’.

‘What an amazing year 2022 was for us. First off, we wanted to thank all of you for making Back 4 Blood what it is today. With three expansions – Tunnels of Terror, Children of the Worm, and River of Blood – we’ve traveled on a fantastic adventure together beyond the walls of Fort Hope. This phase of our war against the Ridden now comes to a close,’ Turtle Rock said in a blog post.

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‘Turtle Rock Studios is actually pretty small for a studio making AAA games. We don’t have quite enough folks to continue working on Back 4 Blood content while we spin up another game – yes, another game! Given this, it’s time for us to put our heads down, get back in the lab, and get to work on the next big thing. Intrepid Cleaners, this is not a goodbye.’

Back 4 Blood will continue to operate, of course … While we may be a bit quieter in the short-term, we promise that we’ll be Back, bigger, bolder and better than ever!’

Turtle Rock has so far not detailed its next major project, and there are few clues about the future of the studio. That said, it’s led by a talented team of games industry veterans – founders Chris Ashton and Phil Robb previously worked on Command & Conquer, Counter-Strike, Left 4 Dead, and other hits – so there are high hopes for a new chapter.

Still, those currently playing Back 4 Blood will likely be disappointed by the lack of ongoing support for the game. It will remain playable in its current state, but there are no longer significant updates on the way. Players will simply have to keep themselves busy with the maps and survivors already in the game.

Leah J. Williams is a gaming and entertainment journalist who's spent years writing about the games industry, her love for The Sims 2 on Nintendo DS and every piece of weird history she knows. You can find her tweeting @legenette most days.