Mod makers got an early Christmas present late on Wednesday. Valve announce on the official Left 4 Dead web site that the mod tools for the zombie shooter sequel Left 4 Dead 2 are now available. Mod makers can download the tools via the Steam client under the Tools tab.

The new authoring tools include some new features compared to the tools released for the original Left 4 Dead including support for the new Scavenge mode. It also lets mod makers support changing the layouts of maps with the new AI Director improvements. If you just want to play new custom Left 4 Dead 2 maps, you can simply download the Add-On Support tab in the Tools section. It will also allow players to download and play any map including those made for the original game.