Valve staged its own Left 4 Dead 2 trailer "leak" to get around an ESRB ban, says former writer
Former Valve writer Chet Faliszek revealed that Valve intentionally 'leaked' the trailer for Left 4 Dead 2 in 2009 to bypass ESRB restrictions on its violent content. The developer had a contentious relationship with the ratings board and various countries over the game's gore and profanity, leading to this unconventional marketing tactic. The game ultimately received an M rating and was released in Germany uncensored in 2021.
Eurogamer
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