Back 4 Blood Open Beta: Best Weapons, Card System and more

Sam Comrie

With games like Splitgate making players everywhere nostalgic, Turtle Rock Studios’ upcoming Back 4 Blood title is no exception. Here are the best ways to set up in the beta.

From August 5th through to August 9th, Back 4 Blood’s open beta will be live for players to get an early preview of the spiritual Left 4 Dead successor. Announced officially in March 2019, developers Turtle Rock Studios are aiming to bring back the simplistic undead thrills of Valve’s once-beloved franchise.

Shipping with a fully-fledged campaign, versus mode, and more to come down the line, the return of classic multiplayer madness is getting closer. 

We checked out the beta for ourselves and have put together our best tips to ensure your zombie-killing career is a long one. 

Sign-ups for the Back 4 Blood Closed Alpha are live.

Best weapons in Back 4 Blood

There is a whole arsenal of kick-ass weapons that would make Neo jealous. However, not all of them are a sure-fire way to keep the undead from wreaking havoc. Weapons can be found within the world, via lootable crates. If you’re lucky, a few bonus attachments might be included with your find. Attachments are sorted into barrel, magazine, optic, and stock improvements. 

Outside of crates, the end-of-level safehouses provide a guaranteed pathway to building your devastating loadout. 

Here are the best weapons you should be using:

  1. M4 Carbine (Laser Sight, Tac Stock, Fast Mag) 
  2. Glock 23 Auto (Compensator, AP Ammo) 
  3. Tac 14 Shotgun (Super 90 Variant if possible, found in-game)
  4. Uzi (Extended Mag, Laser Sight) 

The gameplay loop of Back 4 Blood encourages players to work within their respective roles (Medic, Support), but we’ve found that the aforementioned weapons will do the job, no matter what position you find yourself in. In particular, the Glock 23 Auto is a devilish addition to the game’s repertoire, dealing out insane bursts of accelerated damage. Combine that with the aimbot-like aim assist present in-game and you’ll be off to the races. 

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How does the Card System work?

Perhaps the most confusing element of Back 4 Blood’s mechanics is the deck-focused Card System. Split between Player and Corruption cards, these work in tandem to deliver unique experiences when a new round of play is started. Player cards are used to enforce buffs, boosts, and damage resistance perks that support you and your squad. These can range from increased health/stamina to reduced reload speeds. Choosing the most versatile deck will depend on what cards your teammates choose to use. 

Corruption cards are used to counter the player. Put to the test by “The Director”, these evil doses of chaos throw new obstacles into the mix. Whether it’s increased weather effects to decrease visibility or exploding, armored enemies, no two rounds will ever be the same. Cards can be acquired in-game from vendor cases and are played in the order you’ve dealt them.

Remember to plan your deck out accordingly when taking on new challenges and you’ll be able to thwart The Director’s plans in no time. 

Putting together a strong deck will lead you to safety.

The key to quick revives

Even if you’ve got your kitted out weapons and cards to hand, unfortunately, it is inevitable that you will go down at some point. Nine out of ten times, this will be the result of overwhelming hordes desperate for a feast. In these moments, the test of a true hero will appear for yourself or your teammate. Traditionally you’ll be able to revive your fallen comrade with a timed delay. 

This doesn’t always go to plan and you’ll need to start utilizing Back 4 Blood’s best tool: the defibrillator. Available from safehouse crates for 350 credits or found within the world, the results of this nifty accessory are truly shocking.

It doesn’t matter if your teammate has fully met their demise either because the defibrillator is capable of bringing them back from the dead without a taste for blood. 

Towering foes like this make revives a living hell.

If you haven’t got beta access yet, you can do so by watching along on Twitch and claiming a drop.

After that, Back 4 Blood launches on October 12th across PlayStation, Xbox (Game Pass Day One), and PC.