The original creators of the Risk of Rain video game series, Hopoo Games, have announced that they are sunsetting their current project and studio to work for Valve Software in Bellevue, Washington. This decision will see the founders of Hopoo Games, Duncan Drummond and Paul Morse, along with other team members, go full-time on internal game projects at Valve. As a result, production on Hopoo’s current project, codenamed “Snail,” has been halted and the studio has shut its doors temporarily.
Founded in 2012 by Duncan Drummond and Paul Morse while they were students at the University of Washington, Hopoo Games gained popularity with their debut project, Risk of Rain, an action game that challenges players to escape a hostile alien world before being overrun by monsters. The game was crowdfunded on Kickstarter, created using the GameMaker engine, and released on Steam in 2013. It sold over three million copies by 2019 and received a remake, Risk of Rain Returns, in 2023 for PC and Nintendo Switch.
Following the success of Risk of Rain, Hopoo Games developed a sequel titled Risk of Rain 2 in 2019 using the Unity game engine. In November 2022, the rights to Risk of Rain 2 were sold to their publishing partner Gearbox Entertainment while Hopoo Games remained independent. Gearbox has continued development on Risk of Rain 2 with expansions such as Seekers of the Storm. The decision to work with Valve software will see Hopoo Games and its team members transition to focus on game development at Valve, leaving their current project and studio behind.
As Hopoo Games transitions to working with Valve Software, it is unclear what projects they will be working on next. Valve’s highest-profile internal project, Deadlock, involves teams of six players battling against each other in a gameplay style that combines elements of hero shooters like Overwatch and online battle arenas like Dota 2. The move to work with Valve represents a new chapter for Hopoo Games and their team members, as they bring their talents and experience to collaborate with the skilled team at Valve in creating new gaming experiences. Although the immediate future of Hopoo Games and their projects remains uncertain, they express their excitement and commitment to continue making games for years to come.
