With Counter-Strike 2 recently confirmed by Valve, numerous details about the sequel continue to emerge, including a reference to Left 4 Dead 3 in the game's file. Though Valve has not only confirmed the existence of Counter-Strike 2 but has unveiled a test phase for it, the developer remains tight-lipped about a potential Left 4 Dead 3.
Beyond Steam and the Steam Deck, Valve is also known for developing many successful games like the various Counter-Strike titles, Portal, and Team Fortress 2 despite these releases becoming more sporadic over time. Left 4 Dead 3 and Half-Life 3 have been rumored for so long that the speculation has turned into jokes occasionally shared by the community and Valve President Gabe Newell alike. While the Half-Life franchise was reinvigorated with Half-Life: Alyx in 2020 and Counter-Strike 2 is set to release this year, many Valve fans continue to ponder when Left 4 Dead 3 will get similar treatment from the developer.
Reddit user PaP3s has garnered 3,900 upvotes on a screenshot of code they dug up in the Counter-Strike 2 files that seems to point toward the existence of the long-rumored Left 4 Dead 3. Underneath a category dubbed Left 4 Dead 3, a string of words including things like "version" and "product" can be seen, but the other side has a much more interesting detail to it that has raised the eyebrows of some responding fans. In the right column of code, "left4dead3" sits near the bottom above "other," which has caused some Valve enthusiasts to speculate that the old rumors about the FPS zombie game may have some validity to them.
Although one reference to Left 4 Dead 3 in the Counter-Strike 2 files may be nothing to spark interest, a full category dedicated to the potential Valve title may have converted some nonbelievers. This Left 4 Dead 3 section of the Counter-Strike 2 files only takes up nine lines of what is a rather extensive set of code like with most games, with PaP3s spotting it between 49 and 58 in their screenshot. As the Left 4 Dead 3 text lines up with the product text on the other side, some Valve fans are anticipating the announcement of a sequel to the series after being caught off-guard by the surprise Counter-Strike 2 reveal.
While the code in Counter-Strike 2 may be enough to raise the hopes of some dedicated Left 4 Dead fans, there are currently no details about it or if the sequel even exists behind the scenes. Valve wouldn't be the first developer to hint at future releases through code hidden in the back end for dataminers and hackers to uncover messages as other games like Fortnite and some Grand Theft Auto releases have done so in the past.
Counter-Strike 2 will release for PC in the summer of 2023.