The Left 4 Dead 2 community has come together to create and release a new official update for the game. While some may have assumed that the game had long been abandoned, Valve has allowed for the fans to continue to officially enhance the game.
This update is known as The Last Stand. Access to the new content provided by this update isn't behind any kind of paywall, so all players that already own Left 4 Dead 2 can just update their game to enjoy what the community has to offer.
In addition to the update being free, Left 4 Dead 2 is currently running a free weekend for those who don't own the game that will end on Monday, September 28th, 2020. The game is additionally 80% off on Steam allowing prospective players to purchase the game for $1.99 USD for a limited time.
The main appeal of this update is a brand new Left 4 Dead campaign, also known as The Last Stand. It is based off the original Survival map of the same name, but expanding it into a full campaign. The goal is to reach the lighthouse to signal for help while mowing down any zombies in the group's path.
In addition to the new campaign, there are 26 new Survival maps that players can hold out in for as long as possible. There are additionally four new Scavenge arenas where players can control either a survivor or special infected to see who can collect the most fuel before dying out. Players will also have access to two new melee weapons, which are a shovel and a pitchfork.
This update doesn't end with new maps and weapons. The community's efforts have also added:
- Brand new animations
- Official implementation of all weapons from Counter-Strike: Source into all in-game servers
- Restoration of unused dialogue lines
- PVP enhancements
- Official implementation of a Versus Survival mode from the Main Menu
- Giving common infected models from the original Left 4 Dead gore
- Adding two new Mutation Modes: Rocketdude and Tank Run
- Improvements for the UI
- Bug and exploit fixes
Reading the official patch notes for this update reveals that there are over 1,000 changes made across the entire game with the implementation of this update. Many of the improvements made include helpful changes for bot controlled survivors that make them easier to work with, as well as the fixing of various exploits.
Seeing the fruits of the community's labor come in an update as big as this has gotten many old fans of the Left 4 Dead series back to wanting to play with their friends once more to explore all the new content available. It is unknown if another update like the Last Stand will come to Left 4 Dead 2 again after this in the future, but the content provided is sure to help revive the community for a while.
Left 4 Dead 2 is available on PC.
Source: Steam