Custom Campaigns, also known as Community Campaigns, are community-created campaigns that can range in size from a full campaign, to a single chapter. Some custom maps are specifically designed for game modes like Scavenge and Survival. Custom content can only be created and used by PC users. Xbox 360 players are unable to use custom content due to technical and financial difficulties regarding porting community-based content over.
Valve is supportive of custom content. They have a SDK for each of their games including Left 4 Dead and Left 4 Dead 2, which allows for easy creating and installing of custom campaigns. They have also released audio recordings by the voice actors of the Survivors for use in specific custom campaigns and feature some custom campaigns on their online blog, as well as uploading specific custom campaigns onto the official servers for more accessibility.
The custom campaign cannot be played on official servers. But can be played on Best server or Local server.
After the February 7, 2013 update. Steam introduced the Steam Workshop where users can upload their custom created maps or content. The contents can be downloaded by subscribing a custom content. Without need to install the addons manually. Futhermore if the same account is logged on different PC, the mods is retained there as well. Internet connection is required however.
How To Install
Once a custom campaign is downloaded from a site, the VPK file is simply placed into the addons folder found in either Left 4 Dead or Left 4 Dead 2 folders. Campaigns are generally created for a certain game; a campaign created for Left 4 Dead may not always work for Left 4 Dead 2, and vice versa, so be aware which game the custom campaign is for before installing.
Some custom campaigns may not be encased in a single VPK (that could be opened with GCFScape;) the file may be a zip or rar file containing a number of .bsp (that could be decompiled to a .vmf file using BSPSource) and .nav files as well. In this case, the file will generally have instructions on where to place them, but usually, the .bsp and .nav files, along with related .txt files, will be placed in the maps folder.
With the updates of Steam Workshop. Any campaigns that were uploaded on the Workshop can be downloaded by clicking the "subscribe" button. Some campaigns are either packaged in one content, or split in parts (due to workshop max file size limits) where all parts must be subscribed in order to play. After subscribing, the workshop content will start download and ready to play.
List of Full-Length Custom Campaigns
Here is a list of custom campaigns which have been noted by their creators to be 'complete', or at least in the final build, with no major updates planned unless concerning bug fixes. These are based around Campaign mode, with the length and number of maps being roughly comparable to standard canon Campaigns. There may be optional modes within the maps catering to Versus, Scavenge and Survival. Descriptions are taken from where the map is found, unless no description was given.
Left 4 Dead
Name | Author(s) | Build and last update |
Chapters | Description | |
Dead City |
ilCannibal | version 4.0 09/14/2010 |
5 | Kill plenty of zombies starting in RiverSide (city) then battling through the Back Alleys, over a Draw Bridge, at a Water Plant and during the escape at the Subway Station. | |
Heaven Can Wait |
Romka Agressor |
version 8.0 07/25/2010 |
5 | After surviving an air crash, the survivors turn out to be in most epicenter of the contamination. The Military has already left all attempts to rescue survivors in the region. | |
Suicide Blitz |
R.T. Frisk | version 4.0 10/12/2010 |
5 | Survivors must make their way through an infected city to escape the zombie apocalypse. | |
Vienna Calling |
44V Mapping | version 1.1 04/07/2009 |
5 | They could take a look at the precious sights of Vienna, at the ancient catacombs, the famous recreation areas, or all the other places of interest, if they would not be hunted by millions of hungry, undead Austrians. | |
I Hate Mountains |
NykO18 Moroes Kane |
version 1.1 06/18/2010 |
5 | Survivors crashed their bus in an utility pole of a dark forest while fleeing. They must now find their way through the spooky North American mountains. The campaign includes a dense forest, a huge mansion, an underground complex, a coast road and its lumberyard and finally, a lakeside finale. | |
Dead Before Dawn |
Darth Brush | version 1.66 10/09/2010 |
5 | Dead Before Dawn is an add-on campaign with a custom story, visuals and home made music for the zombie shooting game Left 4 Dead. It is based upon the 2004 remake of George Romero's Dawn of the Dead. | |
Death Aboard |
Petter "Diputs" Hesse | version 7.0 08/29/2009 |
5 | In Death Aboard you start out in a prison and work your way out to the nearest docks area. From here, you board a stranded ship and finally to an island where there will be a lighthouse as a finale. |
Left 4 Dead 2
Name | Author(s) | Build and last update |
Chapters | Description | |
The Bloody Moors |
Kev Edwards | version 4 11/28/13 |
5 | Survivors have fled the USA to seek safety in England, but crash land on the bleak wind-swept Yorkshire moors. | |
Back To School |
100_o/o_f@ke | version 1.06 01/19/13 |
6 | The storyline offer new setting of Borden city, struggling to survive in an epidemic apocalypse alongside with four heroes from the original L4D. | |
Blackout Basement |
HazmatKat | version 3.3 06/02/13 |
4 | A trip through the underground of a city to reach a train station for evacuation.
This campaign is based on the industrial side of Philadelphia, with the original Survivors. | |
Day Break |
DannBo | version 2.0 10/03/13 |
5 | The survivors must escape San Francisco before the military bombs it! The survivors have to make their way out of the city, crossing the Golden Gate, and take a boat to Alcatraz Island. | |
Energy Crisis |
HazmatKat | version 1.5 11/07/15 |
5 | In order to evacuate, the survivors must traverse to an active nuclear power station in the hopes of shutting down the atomic reactor for a wounded helicopter pilot waiting on the opposite side. | |
Fatal Freight |
Zorbos | version 1.2 02/06/2015 |
5 | After crashing their vehicle, the survivors find themselves holed up in a small tunnel at the edge of the forest. With supplies running low and the frigid winter looming on the horizon, there is little hope for survival. | |
Dead City II |
ilCannibal | version 17.0 08/30/2010 |
6 | Kill plenty of zombies starting in RiverSide (city) then battling through the Back Alleys, over a Draw Bridge, at a Military Outpost finding yourself at a Water Plant and during the escape at the Subway Station. | |
Dead City II Lite |
ilCannibal | version 6.0 08/31/2010 |
3 | Kill plenty of zombies battling through the Back Alleys, over a Draw Bridge, Locate the Military Outpost to escape. | |
Heaven Can Wait II |
Romka Agressor Gemini Saga |
version 11.0 10/10/2010 |
5 | After surviving an air crash, the survivors turn out to be in most epicenter of the contamination. The Military has already left all attempts to rescue survivors in the region. | |
Dead Before Dawn Too |
Darth Brush | version 3.0 11/26/2010 |
5 | Dead Before Dawn is the l4d(2) addon campaign remake of Dawn of the Dead, itself a remake of George Romero's classic zombie killer movie of that same name. | |
Dead Before Dawn Director's Cut |
Darth Brush | version 4.0 02/15/2011 |
5 | Dead Before Dawn: Director's Cut is an update of DBD including more mall, more zombies and more events! It includes our "deleted" map Undead center, which you'll be able to finally play as full release version! | |
Death Aboard 2 |
Petter "Diputs" Hesse | version 2.0 08/12/2010 |
5 | Death Aboard 2 is the convertion to L4D2 of the popular Death Aboard campaign for L4D. It is now set during daytime. If you have problems figuring out what to do on the second level: Try looking in the sewers. | |
Detour Ahead |
boogada inigo montoya |
version 7.0 11/06/2010 |
5 | Forced to abandon their vehicle and travel on foot, the survivors press on in search of rescue... | |
Haunted Forest |
Dr. Boo | version 3.0 04/23/2011 |
4 | Survivors are stranded in Transsylvania. Go through the forest and the mansion to reach the escape boat! | |
Questionable Ethics |
Nihilanth | version 1.2 5/02/11 |
4 | The Survivors find themselves stuck in a mysterious research facility and must fight their way out to safety. | |
Welcome to Hell |
Garfield!! | version 7.0 10/03/2010 |
5 | Welcome to Hell is a campaign that takes place after the events of The Parish. The campaign features custom weapons and the weapons from The Passing. | |
Gas Fever |
Garfield!! | version 2.0 01/31/2011 |
3 | This campaign take place before The Passing. The Jimmy Gibbs Jr car its out of gas now the survivors must find a gas station to fill up the car. | |
Suicide Blitz 2 |
R.T. Frisk | version 4.0 07/28/2011 |
5 | Four new survivors must make their way through an infected city to escape the zombie apocalypse! | |
Urban Flight |
The_Rabbit | version 1.4.5 02/11/2012 |
4 | Survivors must make their way through a quarantined city and navigate their way through the mazes of barricades and obstacles to escape near a military airfield. |