Several key members of Hopoo Games, creators of the acclaimed Risk of Rain series, including co-founders Duncan Drummond and Paul Morse, have joined Valve's game development team. This move has sparked renewed speculation about future Valve projects.
Hopoo Games' Transition to Valve
Projects Paused, "Snail" on Hold
Hopoo Games announced on Twitter (now X) that several developers, including its co-founders, are transitioning to Valve. This 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, 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 about contributing to future Valve titles. The announcement concluded with a playful "sleep tight, Hopoo Games," signaling the pause in development.
Established in 2012 by Drummond and Morse, Hopoo Games achieved recognition with the original Risk of Rain, a successful roguelike. Its sequel, Risk of Rain 2, followed in 2019. In 2022, Hopoo Games sold the Risk of Rain IP to Gearbox Software, which continues to develop the franchise, recently releasing the Risk of Rain 2: Seekers of the Storm DLC. Drummond expressed confidence in Gearbox's stewardship of the series.
Valve's "Deadlock" and Half-Life 3 Speculation Intensifies
While Valve and Hopoo have not revealed the specifics of their collaboration, the timing coincides with Valve's ongoing early access title, the hero shooter Deadlock, and persistent rumors surrounding Half-Life 3.
Recent speculation about Half-Life 3 gained traction when a voice actor's portfolio briefly mentioned a Valve project codenamed "Project White Sands," before being promptly removed. This fueled fan theories connecting "White Sands" to Half-Life 3, drawing parallels to the Black Mesa Research Facility in New Mexico, a key location in the Half-Life universe. As noted by Eurogamer, this connection ignited widespread speculation among fans.
