Turtle Rock, the renowned game development studio, may have embarked on the journey of developing Back 4 Blood 2. An inquisitive researcher at Multiplayer1st delved deep into Turtle Rock's naming conventions after stumbling upon a peculiar entry on the resume of Jesse Hutch, a motion-capture actor involved in the first Back 4 Blood.

Unraveling the Naming Conundrum

Hutch mentioned "Gobi 2" from Turtle Rock as a current project where they serve as the lead performer. This seemingly insignificant detail gains significance when one examines Steam's backend entry for Back 4 Blood. Initially, when Turtle Rock uploaded information about the game, it was known by the codename "Gobi." Additionally, at the beginning of 2023, the development team announced the commencement of work on its next, unnamed project. Given that "Gobi" was associated with Back 4 Blood, it is logical to assume that "Gobi 2" refers to Back 4 Blood 2. However, there is a possibility that Turtle Rock's naming conventions are rather flexible and perhaps a bit unorganized.

The Origins and Legacy

A team of designers who worked on Left 4 Dead and its sequel established Turtle Rock and created Back 4 Blood as a sort of spiritual successor. While Back 4 Blood showed great promise with its fun and ambitious gameplay, its launch was not without its challenges. Its highest player count on SteamDB was a mere 65,987, and the most recent count was just over 4,000. In contrast, 49,000 people played Left 4 Dead 2, a 15-year-old game, in the past 24 hours. This highlights the difference in popularity and player engagement between the two games.Back 4 Blood offered a unique experience with its zombie-blasting action. However, Left 4 Dead 2 had the advantage of an existing community, extensive mod support, and a more straightforward gameplay focus on blasting zombie hordes rather than dealing with roguelike card systems. This might explain why Turtle Rock's first attempt at the formula did not achieve the same level of success.

The Future Awaits

With The Game Awards 2024 just on the horizon, there is a glimmer of hope that we might get a glimpse of what Turtle Rock has in store for the future. The studio has the opportunity to build on the foundation of Back 4 Blood and potentially create a more refined and successful sequel. The lessons learned from the initial launch of Back 4 Blood can be incorporated into the development of Back 4 Blood 2, aiming to attract a larger player base and provide a more immersive gaming experience. Only time will tell what Turtle Rock has in store, but the potential for a great sequel is certainly there.