The game has been considered the spiritual successor to Left 4 Dead, as it is being developed by the creators of the original game, and features largely identical gameplay.[2] The game was announced at The Game Awards 2020, and came nearly a decade after Turtle Rock Studios split from Valve (who published both Left 4 Dead titles and still owns the rights to the franchise) and re-established itself as an independent studio.[3] Upon release, the game received favorable reviews.