“Live service” has become something of a dirty word in the gaming community, and not without good reason. While usually associated with huge companies like EA and established franchises like Call of Duty, plenty of medium-sized studios have dipped their toes in live service games. Turtle Rock is among them, having confirmed that its upcoming game Back 4 Blood will contain live service elements.
According to Turtle Rock, Back 4 Blood will feature multiple cosmetic items, skins, and characters. Some of which are available only through pre-ordering the ultimate edition or as part of the game’s annual pass.
A spiritual follow up to Left 4 Dead, the upcoming zombie shooter features four-player co-op, eight-player PVP, and the return of Left 4 Dead’s director system. The developers also promise three planned DLC, including new story content, characters, and a new special infected type. That last detail may ruffle some feathers, especially if the new enemy type is part of day one DLC. Even if that isn’t the case, gamers have been burned before by low quality or exploitive season passes.
Turtle Rock has already faced criticism for its approach to DLC and season pass content. The studio's previous title, Evolve, infamously featured $136 worth of DLC at launch. The game offered 44 separate day one DLCs, in addition to the $24.99 Season Pass. Turtle rock eventually lowered its prices, but only after the game started losing popularity. Evolve eventually went free to play and the public servers were ultimately shut down in 2018. One has to wonder if the poorly received DLC may have contributed to the game’s decline.
While some may be disappointed to hear Turtle Rock continues to embrace the season pass model, this is not automatically bad news. Day one DLC may be harder to defend, but there is nothing inherently wrong with developers offering annual or season pass content. Some have even argued that live services are necessary for modern AAA games. However, this stance is far more popular with publishers than players.
Ultimately, a lot will come down to the specifics of how Turtle Rock handles Back 4 Blood’s post-release content. It’s unlikely that many will object to three reasonably priced and content-rich pieces of DLC. On the other hand, the studio is sure to catch flack if it decides to place quantity over quality. Turtle Rock has yet to announce a price for the annual pass, and details on the DLC offerings are sparse. With that in mind, it may be better to reserve judgment until more information is available.
Back 4 Blood releases on June 21st for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
Source: Turtle Rock