Game developer Valve Corporation has been very quiet about its multiplayer shooter video game “Left 4 Dead 3” but it seems that it can no longer contain the numerous leaks that have been going around since last year.

While Valve has yet to confirm any of the rumors and reports about the highly-anticipated third installment to the very successful “Left 4 Dead” franchise, it seems imminent and clear that the game would be released to the Xbox One, the PlayStation 4, and the PC next year.

The fact that “Left 4 Dead 2” is getting a refresh as of late and was even listed recently at the Xbox One’s backward compatibility program only means that Valve is already prepping fans and gamers for the eventual coming of “Left 4 Dead 3.”

Recent reports also indicate that Valve has already given priority to “Left 4 Dead 3” over the other highly-anticipated game on its stable, the first-person zombie shooter game “Half-Life 3,” because of the company’s priority to multiplayer games and its Steam platform.

From previous reports that the game will finally come out next year, latest hints seem to point to the huge possibility that “Left 4 Dead 3” will be launched at the upcoming Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2016 to be held in Los Angeles in June this year. Thus, Valve would certainly have a larger presence in the event after a long while, reports the Christian Today.

Too long in the making

If and when “Left 4 Dead 3” comes out in the consoles and the PC next year, it would be eight years since its predecessor came out in 2009, which is considered an eternity in today’s modern game development.

Valve Corporation apparently had a challenge in the development of the game because its main partner for the first two iterations of the franchise, Turtle Rock Studios, has decided to bolt out of the partnership and let Valve take the reign instead.

The American game development company certainly does not want to be branded as playing a supporting role in the making of the first two games that is why it was a matter of pride for it to come up with “Left 4 Dead 3.” If it does not push through with the development of the game, it would only prove the notions that it was actually Turtle Rock Studios that has been calling the shots with the “Left 4 Dead” franchise and not Valve.

Valve is just too big a game development firm to be branded as such vis-à-vis an independent company like Turtle Rock Studios.

Reports have it that “Left 4 Dead 3” is going to serve as a prequel to the previous game and shall feature four main characters – one female and three males. The only female protagonist is Katherine and the three others are gangster Irvin, Kenpo fighter Garrett Jr., and comic book fan Keenan.

According to rumors, the gameplay shall also increase the number of possible gamers from the previous six to eight, notes the Vine Report.

In addition, there will also be six different campaigns in the game including No Mercy, Early Destination, Impasse, Cliff-Hanger, Crashland, and Inquisitor Land. There is also a possibility that more campaigns will be added to the game through future DLCs.

A top game development priority

According to another report, Valve has made “Left 4 Dead 3” its top game development priority because its predecessor was released some seven years ago.

The latest hint of the possibility of “Left 4 Dead 3” coming out to the gaming consoles and the PC soon became more pronounced at the start of the year, particularly during the launching of the virtual reality headset of the Taiwanese tech giant HTC, officially known as the HTC Vive VR.

During the demo of the HTC Vive’s VR during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2016, the event had full of references not only to “Left 4 Dead 3” but also to “Half-Life 3.”