Valve Hires Risk of Rain Devs, Fueling Half-Life 3 Rumors

Key members of Hopoo Games, the creators of the acclaimed Risk of Rain series, including co-founders Duncan Drummond and Paul Morse, have joined Valve. This significant move has prompted Hopoo Games to indefinitely halt its current projects, including the unannounced title "Snail."

Hopoo Games' Transition to Valve

The announcement, made via Twitter (now X), confirms the departure of several key Hopoo Games developers to Valve, the renowned studio behind franchises like Counter-Strike and Half-Life. While the exact nature of their roles at Valve remains undisclosed, both Drummond and Morse's LinkedIn profiles indicate their continued association with Hopoo Games. The studio expressed gratitude for its decade-long partnership with Valve and excitement for future collaborations. However, the development of "Snail" has been suspended.

Despite selling the Risk of Rain IP to Gearbox in 2022, Drummond voiced confidence in Gearbox's stewardship of the franchise, particularly regarding the recently released Risk of Rain 2: Seekers of the Storm DLC.

Speculation Mounts Regarding Half-Life 3

The news has fueled renewed speculation about a potential Half-Life 3. While Valve's current focus is on the early access MOBA hero shooter Deadlock, the addition of experienced developers from Hopoo Games has ignited fan theories. This surge in speculation is further amplified by a since-removed entry from a voice actor's portfolio mentioning a Valve project codenamed "Project White Sands," a detail quickly seized upon by fans connecting "White Sands" to the Half-Life universe and its New Mexico setting. This, coupled with Hopoo Games' expertise in action-packed roguelike gameplay, has led to widespread conjecture about their involvement in the long-awaited sequel.

While neither Valve nor Hopoo Games has confirmed any specific project, the timing and the talent acquisition have undeniably reignited hopes for a Half-Life 3 announcement amongst the gaming community. The mystery surrounding "Project White Sands" and the silence from Valve only serve to intensify this anticipation.