Steam News announces Left 4 Dead 2 is being offered for free today only, though the load this is causing along with the ongoing Steam sale is making the website difficult to access. Here's word on Valve's gift of zombie mayhem:

Left 4 Dead 2 is FREE today only on Steam!*

Free Zombies!

To celebrate the holidays in a special way this year, Left 4 Dead 2 will be free until 10AM PST on 12/26.

It will be free as in, grab it now, pay no money, and it is yours to keep forever – FOR FREE!

To claim your L4D2 gift, all you need to do is install it.

If you don’t install, it goes back to its regular price and you miss out! The zombie apocalypse is more fun with friends so make sure to tell all your mates to install it as well.

Happy Holidays!

Valve

*Offer ends December 26th at 10AM Pacific Time.

Humble Bundle: PC and Android 8 is now loaded with 9 games.

• 12 Days of Christmas Sale on ShinyLoot.
• Brave (OS X) on Mac App Store. Save 50%.
• The Bureau - XCOM Declassified (OS X) on Mac App Store. Save 50%.
• Call of Duty: Ghosts Digital Hardened Edition on GameStop PC Downloads.
• Cars 2: The Video Game (OS X) on Mac App Store. Save 50%.
• Castle of Illusion on GameStop PC Downloads. Save 80%.
• The Darkness II (OS X) on Mac App Store.
• Deus Ex: Human Revolution - Director's Cut on Steam. Save 50%.
• Disney Planes (OS X) on Mac App Store. Save 50%.
• Disney's Princess Enchanted Journey (OS X) on Mac App Store. Save 50%.
• The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim on Steam. Save 50%.
• Endless Space on Steam. Save 66%.
• Europa Universalis IV on Steam. Save 25%.
• Football Manager 2014 on GameStop PC Downloads. Save 50%.
• Football Manager 2014 on Steam. Save 25%.
• Globetrotters Gear on GOG.com. Save 80% on the bundle or 50% on individual games.
• LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean (OS X) on Mac App Store. Save 50%.
• Nancy Drew: The Captive Curse on GameStop PC Downloads. Save 70%.
• Nancy Drew: The Deadly Device on GameStop PC Downloads. Save 25%.
• Nancy Drew: Ghost of Thornton Hall on GameStop PC Downloads. Save 25%.
• PAYDAY 2 on Steam. Save 40%.
• RollerCoaster Tycoon 3: Platinum on Steam. Save 50%.
• A Study in Red on GOG.com. Save 66%.
• Terraria on Steam. Save 50%.
• Tomb Raider on Amazon.com. Save 75%. Thanks HARDOCP.
• Toy Story 3 (OS X) on Mac App Store. Save 50%.
• Trials Evolution: Gold Edition on Steam. Save 50%.

Hello Games tweets that their offices flooded overnight due to a riverbank overflowing, destroying personal treasures as well as all their office equipment. There's no word on how this will affect development of No Man's Sky, their highly anticipated recently announced sci-fi game, but they seem optimistic, saying: "We're taking stock today, but already I know we'll come back stronger :) - all we'll need is a place to work and a machine to work on :)" Thanks GameInformer.

The Renegade X forums put out the call for those interested in testing this community-created shooter based on the Command & Conquer series. The game is due in February, and they are seeking clans and other community groups to play together in phase III of their beta. Thanks IncGamers.

• ActionTrip's 2013 Game of the Year Awards.
• The Best Video Games Of 2013 - Forbes.

• ESO ‘Ask Us Anything’ – Cyrodiil - Bethesda Blog.
• MXGP - Riders Video Interview.

• PS4 set up guide - 15 essential tips & tricks.
• Online Services Struggle To Keep Up With Christmas Consoles.
• Countdown to 2014 Xbox Daily Deal Day 9: The Wolf Among Us. Free.

• Time Warner Cable, Bruised After Its Battle With CBS, Extends Viacom Deal. Thanks Ant.

• Researchers Generate Solar Electricity With Photosynthetic Proteins. Thanks Acleacius.
• Dish and DirecTV wish customers a Merry Christmas… by hiking prices. Thanks HARDOCP.

• New keylogging malware steals Tumblr log-in credentials. Thanks j.c.f.

• In telecom merger mania, skeptical eye from Obama administration. Thanks Ant via Slashdot.
• Report: Accused League Player's Motion To Quash Denied, Case To Proceed.

• Cougar MX500 on LAN OC.
• iWalk Extreme 10,000 Duo Mobile Battery on TweakTown.
• Kingston DataTraveler 6000 FIPS Level 3 Encrypted Flash Drive on TweakTown.
• Sapphire Radeon R9 290 Tri-X OC on AnandTech.
• XTPower MP-23000A 23000mAh Ultra-High Capacity External Power Supply Battery Pack on Nikk Tech.

• Game Giveaway of the Day - The Oil Blue. Thanks Ant…

Merry Christmas, here's hoping Santa treated all celebrants kindly. We had a little surprise here, as in spite of the forecast, it is a white Christmas here at the BlueTower, as we had overnight snow, and in just the right amount too: enough to create the proper aesthetic, but not so much that it required shoveling. Here's hoping things have worked out equally conveniently for all of you, and, again, merry Christmas!

R.I.P.: New York fighting game player Nelson 'Remix' Reyes passes away at 28. Thanks GameSpot.

White Links:	Thanks Ant and Acleacius.
Link:	A Map That Reveals the Most Popular TV Show Set in Your Home State.
Story:	McDonald's employee site advises workers to avoid eating fast food.
Media:	A Slow Motion Christmas. The TSA's 12 Banned Items of Christmas. Thanks reddit. Chewbacca Sings Silent Night.