Left 4 Dead DLC next week, sequel demo due Oct. 27

Zombie hunters be advised: The next couple of months are going to be busy. In the lead-up to Left 4 Dead 2's November 17 launch on the Xbox 360 and PC, Valve said today that a demo for the survival-horror shooter will be available to Xbox 360 and PC users on October 27. Further, Valve confirmed that the original Left 4 Dead will be updated with its second batch of downloadable content, titled Crash Course, for the Xbox 360 and PC on September 29.

Details on what gamers can expect from the Left 4 Dead 2 demo were sparse, with a Valve representative confirming for GameSpot that more details will be rolled out as its launch date approaches. However, the Valve rep did say that those who preorder Left 4 Dead 2 through the company's online distribution platform Steam or at participating retailers will be granted advance access to the sampler.

Left 4 Dead's Crash Course DLC is set between the No Mercy and Death Toll maps found in the original game and accommodates single-player, cooperative, and competitive action. Valve notes that the heart of the DLC is the Crash map in Versus mode, which is expected to take 30 minutes to complete.

Crash Course will be offered gratis to PC gamers, though Xbox Live owners will have to drop $7 (MSP 560) on the map pack. Notably, Valve released its first Left 4 Dead add-on, the Survival Pack, in April, giving it away to gamers on both platforms.

According to Valve, the original Left 4 Dead has sold nearly 3 million units worldwide since its release on the Xbox 360 and PC in November 2008. Check out GameSpot's review for more on the original Left 4 Dead, as well as the site's previous coverage for more on Left 4 Dead 2.