It’s an unprecedented year for Valve: the company is finally following Counter-Strike: Global Offensive up with a refined, revamped sequel, but may also be looking to shut down the “can’t count to three” jokes for good. Fans have found a reference to Left 4 Dead 3 in the files of the Counter-Strike 2 closed beta, suggesting that Valve may finally be developing a new title in the franchise after nearly 14 years.

• Related Reading: Counter-Strike 2 Gameplay Footage Revealed; Limited Tests Announced

Following an all-time concurrent player count high for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, dataminers discovered a Counter-Strike 2 entry in the then-latest Nvidia graphics driver which Valve followed up with an official announcement of the game. Now that the CS:GO sequel is in closed beta, eager fans have gone one step further, poking into the beta title’s files and discovering a Left 4 Dead 3 entry in the files:

The code for the entry reads “Left4Dead3,” “version = 2,” “owner = triage*,” “severity = high,” “priority = none,” (prompting hilarious jokes from the community) “category = —,” “product = left4dead3,” and “component = other.”

While this little throwaway entry in the closed beta’s files does not at all guarantee the existence of a third Left 4 Dead title, this is the second time in the last few weeks that buried code for a new Valve game has surfaced in a datamine. Keeping in mind both the fact that Valve used the traction from the previous instance to actually reveal Counter-Strike 2 and that it loves practical jokes (with April 1 fast approaching), we advise our readers to simply await an official announcement confirming either scenario. It is pertinent to mention that the last time Left 4 Dead 3 rumors surfaced, the company was quick to definitively shoot them down in an official statement.

Stay tuned here at MP1st for all Valve and Left 4 Dead 3 updates and announcements.

Source: /u/PaP3s