Risk Of Rain creators wind down work on unannounced project and take jobs at Valve

Hopoo Games, the developers behind the popular roguelike games Risk Of Rain and Risk Of Rain 2, have announced that they are closing their studio and joining Valve. They will no longer be working on their upcoming game “Snail” as originally planned. Instead, the studio’s co-founders, Paul Morse and Duncan Drummond, along with other team members, will be taking on new game development roles at Valve.

“It’s been an incredible 12 years for us,” said the developers. “We are grateful for the opportunities we’ve had and we want to thank our team and fans for their support throughout the years.

“We are passionate about making games and we look forward to continuing our work alongside the talented individuals at Valve. For now, farewell from Hopoo Games.”

This move is reminiscent of Campo Santo, the creators of Firewatch, who also joined Valve and put their game “In The Valley Of The Gods” on hold. While the release date for that game is still uncertain, it shows a trend of indie studios joining larger companies like Valve.

The decision to dissolve Hopoo Games comes after the mixed reception of Risk of Rain 2’s latest DLC. It is worth noting that Hopoo Games no longer own the rights to the series, as they were acquired by Gearbox in 2022. Drummond expressed sympathy for the Gearbox team working on the game, acknowledging the challenges they faced with limited time and resources.

As for what the former Hopoo team will be working on at Valve, details are scarce. Valve is known to be developing a multiplayer shooter called Deadlock, so that could be a potential project. However, Valve’s internal processes are known to be unpredictable, with various game ideas evolving and changing within the company.

Working at Valve has a reputation for being mysterious, but there have been insights into its unique management structure. From leaked handbooks to firsthand accounts, there is a glimpse into the inner workings of the company.