Left 4 Dead 2 writer says Valve intentionally ‘leaked’ its cinematic trailer to get around ESRB rules: ‘I think we can’t get trouble for that now’

It’s strange to think about in hindsight, but Left 4 Dead 2 was a controversial game in the run-up to its release in November 2009—just one year after the original Left 4 Dead laid the foundations for today’s enormous cooperative gaming scene. Indeed, it was that rapid turnaround, combined with the fact that the first Left 4 Dead was a relatively short game, which led to accusations that Left 4 Dead 2 was nothing more than a cynical ploy by Valve to cash in on the success of the first.

Ultimately, Left 4 Dead 2 would prove a worthy follow-up to Valve’s cooperative blaster. But it turns out there was some skulduggery afoot behind the scenes on Left 4 Dead 2, just not the kind that fans suspected. Shortly before the sequel’s launch, a cinematic trailer—which would ultimately serve as Left 4 Dead 2’s introductory cutscene—leaked onto the Internet. Now, it’s been revealed that this ‘leak’ was orchestrated by Valve to evade the censorious watch of the Entertainment Software Ratings Board.