Half-Life 3 Rumors Resurface as Risk of Rain Founders Join Valve

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 sparked renewed speculation about Valve's future projects.

Hopoo Games' Transition to Valve

Projects Paused, "Snail" on Hold

Hopoo Games announced on Twitter (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 Hopoo Games affiliations. 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 "Snail's" development.

Founded in 2012, Hopoo Games achieved success with the Risk of Rain series. Following the 2022 sale of the IP to Gearbox, Hopoo Games has remained supportive of Gearbox's continued development of the franchise, with Drummond expressing confidence in their direction.

Valve's "Deadlock" and the Persistent Half-Life 3 Whispers

While Valve and Hopoo have not revealed the specifics of the collaboration, the timing coincides with Valve's ongoing early access release of the hero shooter Deadlock, and the enduring rumors surrounding Half-Life 3.

Fueling the Half-Life 3 speculation is a recently removed 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 to the Black Mesa Research Facility in New Mexico, a key location in the Half-Life series. The connection to the Black Mesa fan remake further intensifies the speculation.