Sony Interactive Entertainment is partnering with Bad Robot Games for an unannounced four-player, cooperative shooter, which will be directed by Left 4 Dead designer Mike Booth. That game is bound for PlayStation 5 and Windows PC, Sony announced Thursday.
The game will be the first internally developed title from Bad Robot Games, which has previously worked with companies like Valve, Epic Games, and Konami on game projects. Bad Robot Games, founded in 2018, is a division of Bad Robot, the film and TV production company founded by writer-director J.J. Abrams (Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Star Trek).
Anna Sweet, CEO of Bad Robot Games (and formerly of Valve and Oculus VR), described the new co-op shooter as being part of a “new universe. “With the support of PlayStation, we hope to deliver a bold, innovative experience that is truly special for players,” Sweet said in a news release. “I could not be more excited that Mike Booth is at the creative helm, crafting a cooperative adventure that will lead to unforgettable moments with friends.”
Booth is the creator and designer of the original Left 4 Dead, and founded Turtle Rock Studios. That studio was acquired by Valve, and Booth went on to work at Blizzard Entertainment and Facebook. He joined Bad Robot in 2020, and now serves as chief creative officer at the game studio.
“We’re greatly impressed with the talent Bad Robot Games has assembled at their studio, and are thrilled to partner with them to help produce and publish their upcoming game,” said Christian Svensson, VP and head of second-party/third-party content ventures and strategic initiatives at Sony Interactive Entertainment. “Their unique creative voice and passion for innovating across all forms of interactive entertainment perfectly aligns with SIE’s mission to craft experiences that resonate deeply with players. We can’t wait for gamers to step into the world they’ve been building.”
SIE’s partnership with Bad Robot Games should give the PlayStation maker more progress on its live-service multiplayer game plans, which have shrunk in ambition in recent years. But following on the success of the first two Left 4 Dead games has proven a difficult task, with attempts like Turtle Rocks’ Evolve and Back 4 Blood, Cold Iron Studios’ Aliens: Fireteam Elite, and Stray Bombay’s The Anacrusis failing to capture the magic and massive audience of their inspiration.
