<img src='http://media.steampowered.com/steam/news/9224/coach_finger.jpg?t=1351457227'>

In the short term, keep playing tonight and buy the game during the sale so you can join us in everything to come. Don’t forget to check out the <a href='http://steamcommunity.com/app/550'>L4D2 Game Hub</a> to see all of the incredible Left 4 Dead movies and other content. Join the community in <a href='http://steamcommunity.com/app/550/discussions'>the Community</a> or <a href='http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=611'>Steam</a> forums, join the <a href='http://steamcommunity.com/games/L4D2/'>Official Game Group</a>, and friend players you meet online.

If you have been playing Campaign mode, time to try Versus. It is competitive, but let people know you are new and looking for help. Read the forums for suggestions. If you are good at it, join one of the competitive groups, try some of the variants.

In the longer term, Steam Workshop is being added to Left 4 Dead 2. This will make it easier to add custom content to the game. This includes skins, weapons, campaigns and more. The screenshot above is from the great community campaign Suicide Blitz 2. The Workshop will begin rolling out in a closed beta this week.

We are also working on some new tools to help content creators design new experiences and push past custom Mutations. We will have more information on this and some example new content as we get closer to release.

In the short term, keep playing tonight and buy the game during the sale so you can join us in everything to come. Don’t forget to check out the L4D2 Game Hub to see all of the incredible Left 4 Dead movies and other content. Join the community in the Community or Steam forums, join the Official Game Group, and friend players you meet online.

If you have been playing Campaign mode, time to try Versus. It is competitive, but let people know you are new and looking for help. Read the forums for suggestions. If you are good at it, join one of the competitive groups, try some of the variants.

In the longer term, Steam Workshop is being added to Left 4 Dead 2. This will make it easier to add custom content to the game. This includes skins, weapons, campaigns and more. The screenshot above is from the great community campaign Suicide Blitz 2. The Workshop will begin rolling out in a closed beta this week.

We are also working on some new tools to help content creators design new experiences and push past custom Mutations. We will have more information on this and some example new content as we get closer to release.

<img src='http://media.steampowered.com/steam/news/9222/francis.jpg?t=1351357184'>
With the free weekend in full swing, it’s time to get everyone together. Join us in the <a href='steam://friends/joinchat/103582791430485503'>Left 4 Dead 2 Steam Chat</a> or <a href='http://steamcommunity.com/app/550/discussions'>Official Forums</a> to discuss the game, hookup with players, and give the game a try. Developers and community members will be in game and chat from 10am to 6pm PST.

If you are new to the game, we have to thank the current community for taking the time to compile a list of great tips to help you (<a href='http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2980053'>list one</a> – <a href='http://steamcommunity.com/app/550/discussions/0/882963954669477261/'>list two</a>). When you are playing, don't hesitate to ask questions or for help.

For current L4D2 owners, better hurry up and get your Good Guy Nick Achievement. It will only be available during the Free Weekend which means until Monday morning at 10am.

The Dev accounts playing this Saturday.
<a href='http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198024119021'>L4D2_DEV_1</a>
<a href='http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198024119077'>L4D2_DEV_2</a>
<a href='http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198024119145'>L4D2_DEV_3</a>
<a href='http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198024119167'>L4D2_DEV_4</a>
<a href='http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198024149372'>L4D2_DEV_5</a>
<a href='http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198024119209'>L4D2_DEV_6</a>

With the free weekend in full swing, it’s time to get everyone together. Join us in the [url]Left 4 Dead 2 Steam Chat[/url] or Official Forums to discuss the game, hookup with players, and give the game a try. Developers and community members will be in game and chat from 10am to 6pm PST.

If you are new to the game, we have to thank the current community for taking the time to compile a list of great tips to help you (list one – list two). When you are playing, don't hesitate to ask questions or for help.

For current L4D2 owners, better hurry up and get your Good Guy Nick Achievement. It will only be available during the Free Weekend which means until Monday morning at 10am.

The Dev accounts playing this Saturday.
L4D2_DEV_1
L4D2_DEV_2
L4D2_DEV_3
L4D2_DEV_4
L4D2_DEV_5
L4D2_DEV_6

<a href="http://www.teamfortress.com/blizzbobarrabas/"><img src="http://www.teamfortress.com/images/posts/screamfortressfourisherenowx.jpg" width="100%" border="0"></a>

In much the same way that most of the characters in the 1983 haunted elevator movie “The Lift” were warned – repeatedly - to take the stairs, we warned you that the frankly terrifying <a href="http://www.teamfortress.com/blizzbobarrabas/">Scream Fortress Halloween event</a> was coming. And now it’s here, and you’re scared, and you don’t have anyone to blame but yourself. This year, you’ll experience the tear-squirting terror of being trapped in a living nightmare with a vindictive ghost, just like everyone in M. Night Shyamalan’s epic of elevator haunting, “Devil”. Before we get to the horror proper, though, we’d like to thank everyone in the community who contributed such terrific items on short notice. Alright, enough talking. As female reporter Jennifer says just before the final elevator battle in “The Shaft”: It’s going DOWN!

In much the same way that most of the characters in the 1983 haunted elevator movie “The Lift” were warned – repeatedly - to take the stairs, we warned you that the frankly terrifying Scream Fortress Halloween event was coming. And now it’s here, and you’re scared, and you don’t have anyone to blame but yourself. This year, you’ll experience the tear-squirting terror of being trapped in a living nightmare with a vindictive ghost, just like everyone in M. Night Shyamalan’s epic of elevator haunting, “Devil”. Before we get to the horror proper, though, we’d like to thank everyone in the community who contributed such terrific items on short notice. Alright, enough talking. As female reporter Jennifer says just before the final elevator battle in “The Shaft”: It’s going DOWN!

<img src="http://media.steampowered.com/steam/news/9208/mnr_stage.jpg?t=1351279346">

Three years after release, Left 4 Dead 2 is a massive game containing 13 Official Campaigns, 8 Game Modes and countless user created Campaigns and Mutations. It’s a lot to soak in over just one weekend so here is a breakdown of what’s included.

The original Left 4 Dead 2 campaigns take the four survivors, Coach, Nick, Ellis, and Rochelle from Savannah to possible safety in New Orleans. These campaigns are: Dead Center, Dark Carnival, Swamp Fever, Hard Rain, and The Parish. The Passing is an additional campaign fitting between Dead Center and Dark Carnival that introduces the L4D2 survivors to the gang from L4D1. Cold Stream is a non-cannon community campaign released as an official campaign.

With the release of Cold Stream, L4D2 now also includes the L4D1 campaigns which follow Bill, Zoey, Francis, and Louis through No Mercy, Crash Course, Death Toll, Dead Air, Blood Harvest, and the Sacrifice. The comic “The Sacrifice” takes place after Blood Harvest and through The Sacrifice campaign and beyond.

We suggest new players start with Campaign mode. This is a co-operative mode that pits four humans against the zombie apocalypse. Realism is a play on Campaign mode where some of the player aids are removed and difficulty heightened. Single player mode is campaign mode with computer AI companions instead of humans.

Versus is the main the competitive mode that pits human Survivors against the human controlled Special Infected. Players take turns playing each side as they go through the campaigns. Realism Versus removes aids for the Survivors.

Scavenge mode is a round based competitive mode that keeps score by how many gas cans you can recover.

Survival is a co-operative mode that tests to see how long you can hold out in one location.

Mutations are a play on the other modes with different rule sets based on the individual Mutations.

A good way to learn the different modes is to play with friends or helpful group. Join us this Saturday in the <a href='steam://friends/joinchat/103582791430485503'>Official Left 4 Dead 2 Steam Group Chat</a> to hookup with like minded players and give the different modes a try.

Left 4 Dead is more than just the game. Countless community made movies both live action and animated have been made to celebrate the game. Make sure to visit the <a href='<a href='http://steamcommunity.com/app/550/videos'>Left 4 Dead 2 Game Hub</a> and check some out.

Three years after release, Left 4 Dead 2 is a massive game containing 13 Official Campaigns, 8 Game Modes and countless user created Campaigns and Mutations. It’s a lot to soak in over just one weekend so here is a breakdown of what’s included.

The original Left 4 Dead 2 campaigns take the four survivors, Coach, Nick, Ellis, and Rochelle from Savannah to possible safety in New Orleans. These campaigns are: Dead Center, Dark Carnival, Swamp Fever, Hard Rain, and The Parish. The Passing is an additional campaign fitting between Dead Center and Dark Carnival that introduces the L4D2 survivors to the gang from L4D1. Cold Stream is a non-cannon community campaign released as an official campaign.

With the release of Cold Stream, L4D2 now also includes the L4D1 campaigns which follow Bill, Zoey, Francis, and Louis through No Mercy, Crash Course, Death Toll, Dead Air, Blood Harvest, and the Sacrifice. The comic “The Sacrifice” takes place after Blood Harvest and through The Sacrifice campaign and beyond.

We suggest new players start with Campaign mode. This is a co-operative mode that pits four humans against the zombie apocalypse. Realism is a play on Campaign mode where some of the player aids are removed and difficulty heightened. Single player mode is campaign mode with computer AI companions instead of humans.

Versus is the main the competitive mode that pits human Survivors against the human controlled Special Infected. Players take turns playing each side as they go through the campaigns. Realism Versus removes aids for the Survivors.

Scavenge mode is a round based competitive mode that keeps score by how many gas cans you can recover.

Survival is a co-operative mode that tests to see how long you can hold out in one location.

Mutations are a play on the other modes with different rule sets based on the individual Mutations.

A good way to learn the different modes is to play with friends or helpful group. Join us this Saturday in the [url]Official Left 4 Dead 2 Steam Group Chat[/url] to hookup with like minded players and give the different modes a try.

Left 4 Dead is more than just the game. Countless community made movies both live action and animated have been made to celebrate the game. Make sure to visit the Left 4 Dead 2 Game Hub and check some out.

<a href="http://www.teamfortress.com/blizzbobarrabas/"><img src="http://www.teamfortress.com/images/posts/spectral_merasmus.jpg" width="100%" border="0"></a>

Welcome to your DOOM... AARON A. AARONSON!

Yes, we're talking directly to YOU, Aaron A. Aaronson! This prophecy of your death is coming from INSIDE YOUR OWN COMPUTER! AWOOOOOO!

Hello, everyone else! What you just experienced was a brave new frontier in Halloween scaring technology: personalized terror! Rather than generically scaring all of you a little, from this Halloween forward, we’re going to scare one specific person... TO DEATH! Admittedly, much like the Human Genome Project, this is going to take some time. So everybody be patient - you'll all be scared eventually. Also, if any of you know Aaron <i>B.</i> Aaronson and don't want to deprive him of the thrill of dying of terror next year, don’t tell him about this blog post.

But just because we’re all now living in the amazing far future of scaring, being frightened in ways that until moments ago seemed impossible, that doesn’t mean we don’t have some more traditional Halloween horror planned for you. First of all, we’re happy and scared to announce the Fourth Annual Scream Fortress Halloween update, dedicated to the loving memory to Aaron A. Aaronson. It doesn’t ship until tomorrow, but you can <a href="http://www.teamfortress.com/blizzbobarrabas/">read all the eerie details here</a>.

Secondly, we’re pleased to present the first in our new series of Halloween-themed release notes. It’s a terrifying little tidbit of fearful fact reporting we call “John Carpenter’s Changes to the Functionality of Halloween Gifts”! Last year, gifts spawned publicly and could be claimed by whoever got there first. This year, players will receive private gift spawns that they can grab at their leisure without having to race everyone on the server for them. The end. Directed and programmed by John Carpenter.

Welcome to your DOOM... AARON A. AARONSON!

Yes, we're talking directly to YOU, Aaron A. Aaronson! This prophecy of your death is coming from INSIDE YOUR OWN COMPUTER! AWOOOOOO!

Hello, everyone else! What you just experienced was a brave new frontier in Halloween scaring technology: personalized terror! Rather than generically scaring all of you a little, from this Halloween forward, we’re going to scare one specific person... TO DEATH! Admittedly, much like the Human Genome Project, this is going to take some time. So everybody be patient - you'll all be scared eventually. Also, if any of you know Aaron B. Aaronson and don't want to deprive him of the thrill of dying of terror next year, don’t tell him about this blog post.

But just because we’re all now living in the amazing far future of scaring, being frightened in ways that until moments ago seemed impossible, that doesn’t mean we don’t have some more traditional Halloween horror planned for you. First of all, we’re happy and scared to announce the Fourth Annual Scream Fortress Halloween update, dedicated to the loving memory to Aaron A. Aaronson. It doesn’t ship until tomorrow, but you can read all the eerie details here.

Secondly, we’re pleased to present the first in our new series of Halloween-themed release notes. It’s a terrifying little tidbit of fearful fact reporting we call “John Carpenter’s Changes to the Functionality of Halloween Gifts”! Last year, gifts spawned publicly and could be claimed by whoever got there first. This year, players will receive private gift spawns that they can grab at their leisure without having to race everyone on the server for them. The end. Directed and programmed by John Carpenter.