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

Hopoo Games Developers Transition to Valve, Project Snail Halted

Hopoo Games, renowned creators of the Risk of Rain series, have announced a significant shift in their operations. Key team members, including co-founders Duncan Drummond and Paul Morse, are joining Valve. This transition has resulted in an indefinite hiatus for Hopoo Games, with their upcoming project, "Snail," placed on hold.

The announcement, shared via X (formerly Twitter), confirmed the move to Valve, known for titles like Counter-Strike and Half-Life. While the nature of the transition remains unclear – whether temporary or permanent – Drummond and Morse's LinkedIn profiles still list their Hopoo Games affiliations. The studio expressed gratitude for their decade-long partnership with Valve and excitement for their future contributions. However, they confirmed the immediate cessation of development on "Snail," concluding their announcement with "sleep tight, Hopoo Games."

Founded in 2012, Hopoo Games achieved prominence with the original Risk of Rain. Following the successful launch of Risk of Rain 2 in 2019, they sold the IP to Gearbox Software in 2022. Drummond recently voiced his confidence in Gearbox's continued development of the series, including the recently released Risk of Rain 2: Seekers of the Storm DLC.

Valve's Deadlock and the Resurfacing Half-Life 3 Speculation

Neither Valve nor Hopoo Games have detailed the Hopoo team's new responsibilities. However, the news has reignited speculation about a potential Half-Life 3. This is fueled by Valve's current focus on Deadlock, currently in early access, and a recent, quickly retracted, entry in a voice actor's portfolio mentioning a Valve project codenamed "Project White Sands."

The mention of "White Sands," as reported by Eurogamer, has sparked fan theories connecting it to Half-Life 3. Theories cite the existence of a "White Sands" park in New Mexico, near the Black Mesa Research Facility, a prominent location in the Half-Life series and its fan-made remake, Black Mesa. The connection, however tenuous, has further fueled anticipation for a long-awaited sequel.