Half-Life 3 Speculations Spark Again as Risk of Rain Original Devs Join Valve's Game Dev Team

Key members of Hopoo Games, the creators of the acclaimed Risk of Rain series, including co-founders Duncan Drummond and Paul Morse, have transitioned to Valve. This significant move has placed Hopoo Games' projects, including the unannounced "Snail," on indefinite hold.

Hopoo Games' Transition to Valve

The announcement, made via a Twitter (X) thread, confirmed the departure of several Hopoo Games developers to Valve. While the nature of this transition—temporary or permanent—remains unclear, both Drummond and Morse's LinkedIn profiles still list their Hopoo Games affiliations. The studio expressed gratitude for its decade-long partnership with Valve and excitement for contributing to future Valve titles. However, this collaboration necessitates a pause in Hopoo Games' own development efforts, indefinitely shelving "Project Snail." The statement concluded with a poignant "sleep tight, Hopoo Games," signifying the temporary cessation of the studio's independent work.

Established in 2012 by Drummond and Morse, Hopoo Games achieved recognition with the original Risk of Rain. Following the success of its 2019 sequel, Risk of Rain 2, Hopoo Games sold the IP to Gearbox in 2022. Drummond recently voiced confidence in Gearbox's handling of the franchise, specifically praising their direction with the recently launched Risk of Rain 2: Seekers of the Storm DLC.

Valve's Current Projects and Half-Life 3 Speculation

While the specifics of Hopoo Games' involvement at Valve remain undisclosed, the timing coincides with Valve's ongoing Deadlock early access and persistent rumors surrounding Half-Life 3. Fueling this speculation is a now-deleted entry from a voice actor's portfolio mentioning a Valve project codenamed "Project White Sands." This cryptic reference, noted by Eurogamer, has ignited fan theories connecting "White Sands" to Half-Life 3, drawing parallels between "White Sands" (a New Mexico park) and Black Mesa (the setting of the original Half-Life and its fan remake).

The influx of talented developers from Hopoo Games adds further intrigue to the ongoing Half-Life 3 speculation, though Valve has yet to offer any official comment.