Left 4 Dead 1 getting new campaign

Valve has announced plans to release a new campaign for the original Left 4 Dead next month, which will be free on PC and cost 560 Microsoft Points (£4.76 / €6.72) on Xbox Live.

Crash Course will work as a traditional co-op campaign, and includes new Survival mode maps, but its "primary goal", according to Valve, is to provide a complete Versus mode experience in just 30 minutes, streamlining the existing approach.

For Versus mode there will be a recharge timer for infected team-mates, and adjusted item-spawn behaviour. It's set in new locations and "bridges the gap between the end of the No Mercy campaign and the beginning of Death Toll", with new locations, new dialogue from the original cast, and an "explosive finale".

Valve had come in for criticism following the announcement of Left 4 Dead 2 at E3, with some fans arguing that it was reneging on its promise to support the first game - and while the announcement may go some way to assuaging their concerns, the fact there's a cost attached on Xbox 360 but not PC will likely raise eyebrows again. We've contacted Valve to ask what's going on with that.

"Since the release of Left 4 Dead last November, the design team has been excited about creating new experiences for this world and allowing players to do the same, by releasing much of our internal toolset, like the Survival Pack and Authoring Tools," Valve boss Gabe Newell said in a statement marking the announcement. "We're working with the fans toward the ongoing entertainment value of the product."

The Crash Course campaign is "targeted for release in September", with Left 4 Dead 2 due out on 17th November.