Left 4 Dead had such a rocky start that Gabe Newell wanted to play Counter-Strike instead

Two characters on a rope bridge with guns.

Left 4 Dead's co-lead, Chet Faliszek, reminisces about the early days of the co-op PvE (player vs. environment) zombie shooter and what it took to finally get it off the ground. 

Over the years, we've been able to slowly find out more about the iconic zombie shooter from Turtle Rock Studios and Valve. For example, we now know that Left 4 Dead first started amidst the production of Counter-Strike: Condition Zero. Thanks to an interview with GameDeveloper, we've also gotten to hear just how rocky the start of development was from the horse's mouth.