Next week, Valve will be updating Left 4 Dead so that custom maps are easier to download and play.

Firstly, with this update map creators will be able to package their content into a single file (a .VPK). This will make displaying, downloading and installing the campaigns far easier for other users. The game’s matchmaking system will also be updated to reflect this, with “extensive support for custom add-on campaigns”. Valve explains:

When creating or searching for a lobby, a new option named “Add-on campaign” will let you select from among the add-on campaigns that you have installed. You can then find games or lobbies as well as create a lobby for that campaign. You can invite your friends, too. If they do not have the campaign installed, they will automatically be offered and an option to download it.

This is all going to be made possible via the release of the game’s SDK (source development kit), which are going to be officially rolled out to the userbase next week. This update will include the source files for all original campaign maps, making both the creation of new maps and the editing of existing ones a lot easier for the general population.

This entry was posted on Saturday, June 20th, 2009 at 11:47 am and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.