Ars Technica now reports that an apparent Left 4 Dead 2 trailer leak was orchestrated by Valve itself. According to Steam Community News, Ars cited former Valve writer Chet Faliszek, who made the claim in a newly posted video about cut lines from Left 4 Dead 2.
The story reaches back to 2009, when Ars Technica covered footage being reported as a leaked trailer for the then-upcoming game. Steam Community News notes that Ars described the footage at the time as looking like it came from a “high-gloss action movie.”
The available evidence supports the narrower claim that Valve orchestrated the apparent leak, based on Faliszek’s comments. It does not provide his full explanation of how the leak related to the ESRB, establish how the material was obtained, give the clip’s duration, or independently verify its authenticity.
