A report from GamesIndustry.biz has confirmed Chet Faliszek, a lead video game writer and promoter of VR, has decided to leave Valve. Chet worked at Valve for 12 years and was arguably the face of VR. His fervent passion for VR relations among different companies was something that gamers found both optimistic and refreshing. Having worked on critically acclaimed Valve games such Half-Life 2: Episode One, Portal, Half-Life 2: Episode Two, and both Left 4 Dead’s, Chet’s departure is surely emotional for the company.
This hasn’t been the only exodus of talent from the gaming giant recently. It seems a string of writers and artists have been leaving for quite some time. Erik Wolpaw (writer), Ted Backman (artist), Mark Laidlaw (writer), Viktor Antonov (environmental artist) all left over the past 5 years. Those are only a few of the ones known publicly. This all begs the question: Has Valve decided to completely shift focus from game development? How long will we have to wait for their next big title? The company seems to have no financial worries, and without that fire burning beneath their feet it appears the company is going away from what it’s considered iconic for: the games.
I for one want to remain optimistic. I don’t want to see Valve fall down a ladder of greed and micro-transaction-centered games. However, with Chet Faliszek leaving, and what seems to be a continued exodus of Valve employees, I can’t help but worry. I have been proven wrong and I hope I am this time. We can only cross our fingers that he may release his next masterpiece soon. It will be interesting to see where Chet ends up, however. I can’t imagine a talent like that staying unemployed for long. I’ll certainly be keeping my eyes open.
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