A trailer for an expansion to Overkill’s Payday: The Heist set the rumor mill ablaze earlier this week. According to Valve writer Chet Faliszek, “some over-excited marketing guys” incorrectly confirmed the “No Mercy” expansion as a prequel of sorts to Valve’s Left 4 Dead. He stated that while there will be Easter Eggs relating back to the co-op zombie slaying franchise, there is nothing official tying the two IP together.
The association was made shortly after Overkill posted (and then removed) its original trailer for the DLC, which some speculated took place at the same Mercy Hospital within Left 4 Dead canon. Rumors grew during E3, before being “confirmed” as Faliszek describes. Overkill did announce a partnership with Valve last month, but has yet to comment further on any collaborative projects.
“This is a 100% Overkill made mission for Payday: Heist simply set in no mercy hospital from the Left 4 Dead series.” wrote Faliszek in an email to Gametrailers’ Side Mission blog, “It is not telling the origins of the Infection and is not canon. There is a little cameo from one of the L4D characters (the comic should give you a hint) and a fun little Easter egg with a payoff later in Left 4 Dead. Just us having some fun with a studio we are friends with and who have also made a great co-op game.”