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

Several 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's game development team. This significant move has sent ripples through the gaming community, sparking renewed speculation about future Valve projects.

Hopoo Games' Transition to Valve

Projects Paused, "Snail" on Hold

Hopoo Games announced on Twitter (now X) that a portion of their team, including key personnel, are transitioning to Valve. This shift has resulted in a temporary halt to Hopoo Games' current projects, notably the unannounced title "Snail." 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 their decade-long partnership with Valve and excitement for their future collaborations.

Established in 2012 by Drummond and Morse, Hopoo Games achieved recognition with the original Risk of Rain, a popular roguelike. Following the success of its sequel, Risk of Rain 2 (2019), Hopoo Games sold the IP to Gearbox in 2022. Despite some mixed reception to the recent Risk of Rain 2: Seekers of the Storm DLC, Drummond voiced confidence in Gearbox's continued development of the franchise.

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

While Valve hasn't revealed the Hopoo team's specific assignments, their involvement fuels ongoing speculation about a potential Half-Life 3. Valve's current major project, the hero shooter Deadlock, is still in early access.

Adding fuel to the Half-Life 3 fire, a voice actor's portfolio briefly mentioned a Valve project codenamed "Project White Sands," before being swiftly removed. This sparked widespread fan theories, with some suggesting a connection between "White Sands" and Half-Life 3, referencing the Black Mesa Research Facility's New Mexico location. Eurogamer reported on the fan theories and their analysis of this intriguing development.