The news that Left 4 Dead 2 will be effectively banned in Australia came as a shock to the folks at developer Valve, VP of marketing Doug Lombardi has told Shacknews.

"We were surprised to hear of this news yesterday," the executive informed us. "Obviously, everyone at Valve is pretty bummed."

Australia's Office of Film and Literature Classification refused to classify Left 4 Dead 2 due to its "realistic, frenetic and unrelenting violence" and gore, effectively banning the zombie shooter sequel as unrated games cannot be sold down under by law.

"It would be a shame if folks in Australia, or anywhere else, are unable to purchase Left 4 Dead 2 because of a ratings issue," Lombardi lamented.

Left 4 Dead 2 hits PC and Xbox 360 elsewhere in the world on November 17, packing a new cast, five campaigns, new enemies, and ratings board-enraging melee weapons.