Valve Recruits Risk of Rain Devs, Reigniting Half-Life 3 Rumors

The acclaimed Risk of Rain series developers, Hopoo Games, have made a significant move. Key team members, including co-founders Duncan Drummond and Paul Morse, have joined Valve, sparking renewed speculation about future projects.

Hopoo Games' Transition to Valve

Projects Paused, "Snail" on Hold

Hopoo Games announced via Twitter (X) that several developers, including its co-founders, are transitioning to Valve. This shift temporarily halts Hopoo Games' current projects, notably the unannounced title "Snail." While the nature of the move – temporary or permanent – remains unclear, both Drummond and Morse's LinkedIn profiles still list their roles at Hopoo Games. The studio expressed gratitude for its decade-long partnership with Valve and excitement for contributing to their upcoming titles. The announcement concluded with a playful "sleep tight, Hopoo Games," signaling the pause on "Snail's" development.

Founded in 2012, Hopoo Games achieved success with the original Risk of Rain, a popular roguelike. Its sequel, Risk of Rain 2, followed in 2019. In 2022, Hopoo Games sold the Risk of Rain IP to Gearbox, which continues to develop the franchise, recently releasing the Risk of Rain 2: Seekers of the Storm DLC. Despite some criticism of the DLC, Drummond expressed confidence in Gearbox's direction for the series.

Valve's "Deadlock" and the Half-Life 3 Rumors

While the specifics of Hopoo Games' involvement at Valve remain undisclosed, the timing coincides with Valve's ongoing "Deadlock" project (in early access) and persistent Half-Life 3 speculation. A voice actor's portfolio briefly mentioned a Valve project, "Project White Sands," which was quickly removed but ignited fan theories. Eurogamer noted fan speculation linking "White Sands" to Half-Life 3, citing a potential connection to the Black Mesa Research Facility in New Mexico, a location prominent in the Half-Life series.

The addition of experienced developers from Hopoo Games to Valve's team has undoubtedly fueled anticipation amongst fans, particularly those hoping for a long-awaited Half-Life 3.