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Illustration of Common Infected
Original AI-made illustration based on the descriptions in the sources. Not an official design.
File No. 207 of 446

Common Infected

Also called: The Infected, Horde
GamesInfected, still aliveRunsA virus2000 to 2009

The basic enemy of Valve's Left 4 Dead (2008). The Common Infected are living victims of the Green Flu who sprint, climb and attack in hordes of about thirty. Each is weak; the threat is the number that arrives at once, drawn by noise such as car alarms.1234

Battle it
First appeared
2008
Left 4 Dead (2008)
Source work
Left 4 Dead (2008)
Valve (Turtle Rock Studios)
Age rating
ESRB M
Made in
USA
What causes it
A virus
The Green Flu, a fictional pathogen. The game's manual states that the Infected are living people, not the risen dead.
How you become one
Catching the Green Flu.
How it moves
Runs
Sprints, climbs fences and ladders, and attacks in big groups called hordes.
Intelligence
Mindless
Weak spots
  • weak one at a time
  • fire

When did it first appear?

Ancient worldMiddle Ages1500 to 18991900 to 19671968 to 19992000 to 20092010 to today2008

Left 4 Dead (2008)

field notes

What the sources say

1

Not undead: the game treats them as living people changed by an illness1234

2

High-pitched sounds such as car alarms and beeping draw them in1234

3

A horde is usually around 30 of them1234

4

When nothing is happening they sit, lean on walls or squabble with each other1234

5

Flashlights and loud noise stir them up1234

Could you outrun it?

Speed class from how the sources describe it (runs), not a measurement.

You, walking about 5 km/h (3.1 mph)
You, jogging about 10 km/h (6.2 mph)
A fit adult sprinting about 24 km/h (15 mph)
Common Infected about 24 km/h (15 mph)
A fast cyclist about 37 km/h (23 mph)

Sources

  1. Common Infected - Left 4 Dead Wiki (Fandom)
  2. Left 4 Dead - Wikipedia
  3. Left 4 Dead 2 - Wikipedia
  4. Left 4 Dead - ESRB

Every fact on this page comes from these sources, written in our own words. Spotted a mistake? Tell us at [email protected].

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