The Story Behind the Ultimately Fake Left 4 Dead 3 Teaser Trailer

Word has spread around the rumor bush about a leaked trailer for a new Left 4 Dead game. But can it be trusted? The short answer is no, but it's good enough to talk about, at least.

On Thursday, May 2, a video appeared online titled "20190611wVLACgXBSwO4eVv.021162_h264". Lasting two-minutes long, it showed the ruins of a convenience store as blood, entrails, and zombified body parts sprinkled the vicinity. It concluded with the signature zombie hand from Left 4 Dead games, quickly retracting a pinky to display three fingers before cutting to black.



Almost immediately after it's publication, it was being talked about in various internet forums and social media. People were taking this to be a leak of a Left 4 Dead teaser. It's been many years since Left 4 Dead 2 was released and fans were excited for a new one.

Of course, there were skeptics. Many folks pointed toward the slow, atmospheric feeling of the video, which was entirely devoid of people, animals, or zombies. It was purely environmental, which went against Valve's preferred video style from the past. Others pointed toward all the real-life brands seen in the video, such as Pepsi and Life Cereal.

It didn't take long before all of these rumors were crushed entirely. PC Gamer reports that Valve has confirmed the video to be a fake.

It's impressive, really. In any other context, it looks like a fantastic teaser for a zombie game, most likely made by a professional studio. For someone to make something so high-quality just as a fake leak is.. well, strange. But it's not the first time. Before the release of Super Smash Bros for the Wii U, there was a similar commotion, albeit to a bigger degree, over an incredibly well-made leak implying that Ray-Man would be part of the fighter roster.

So if you weren't certain: No, this is not a real teaser trailer. It is a fake made by a skilled and dedicated fan. If anyone has any genuine proof or evidence that it IS authentic, I'd love to see it.