Mike Booth, the renowned lead designer of the seminal cooperative shooter Left 4 Dead, has announced a new project that revisits and expands upon the four-player co-op formula that made his earlier work a critical and commercial success. The game, currently known internally as Project Tacoma, is under development at Bad Robot Games, the gaming division of the JJ Abrams-led production company famed for TV and film productions such as Lost and Westworld.
Booth revealed the new game in a message posted on the Left 4 Dead subreddit, emphasizing that it aims to retain the elements of teamwork, tension, and replayability that distinguished his previous titles. "If you enjoyed the teamwork, tension, and replayability of my past games, you'll probably find this one interesting," Booth wrote. He also mentioned that the title "expands on the co-op formula in ways I've wanted to explore for a long time," signaling intentions to innovate within the genre.
The game is still in early development, but interested players can sign up to participate in upcoming playtests through a survey on badrobotgames.com. The survey assesses player preferences for platforms and input devices and asks about familiarity with other popular shooters such as Apex Legends, PUBG, and Fortnite. Additionally, the playtest requires participants to have a high-end PC setup, including a minimum GPU equivalent to an RTX 3070 or RX 6800, 8GB VRAM, 32GB RAM, and a Core i7 CPU or better, reflecting its advanced design ambitions.
This announcement comes nearly four years after the release of Back 4 Blood, a game that also evolved the Left 4 Dead formula but did so without Booth's involvement. Back 4 Blood received mixed reactions from players despite critical praise, leading to cautious optimism among fans about Booth's new endeavor. Unlike Back 4 Blood, which was developed by Turtle Rock Studios after Booth had departed, Project Tacoma benefits from Booth's direct vision as chief creative officer at Bad Robot Games since 2022.
Booth's career spans contributions to major franchises at Valve, Blizzard, and pioneering VR efforts at Facebook’s Oculus Rift division before joining Bad Robot. This breadth of experience combined with Bad Robot’s resources and expertise suggests Project Tacoma could make a significant impact in cooperative shooter gaming.
Cooperative shooters have continued to evolve with titles like GTFO and Deep Rock Galactic earning strong player followings, while broader industry trends reflect growing player demand for immersive team-based experiences. Booth's Project Tacoma arrives at a time when collaboration mechanics and replayability are more critical than ever, both in gaming culture and within discussions about labor and creative collaboration in the industry.
While specific release dates and further gameplay details remain under wraps, the invitation for players to help shape Project Tacoma during its early stages highlights a community-driven development approach. Fans of the Left 4 Dead franchise and cooperative shooters alike will certainly watch Booth’s next project closely as it develops.
