Gabe Newell talks about bringing The International to New Zealand, upcoming single-player games, and more

Valve founder/CEO Gabe Newell has been quite reclusive ever since he relocated to New Zealand. Given the massive popularity of Steam and titles such as DOTA2, Valve's focus has shifted from developing new games to keeping its cash cows up to date. That, combined with the general veil of secrecy surrounding its plans, has led to some frustration among its fanbase. In an interview with New Zealand-based 1News, Gabe Newell has shed some light on some of Valve's upcoming projects.

DOTA2 players based in New Zealand will be pleased to know that Gave Newell is interested in hosting a future iteration of The International in the country. However, there is no word about when that will happen, as the chances of it happening this year are grim. In 2020, the community-driven prize pool crossed the US$40 million mark, despite The International 10 being cancelled on account of the coronavirus.

Newell has also confirmed that Valve has a few story-driven single-player titles in the pipeline. No, Half-Life 3 isn't on that list. We're probably looking at some more VR titles, maybe even a Half-Life: Alyx sequel. Unfortunately, there is no word about just when they will be unveiled. Given Valve's flat organizational structure, employees are free to switch between projects at will. While that might make for a fun workplace, it does little towards ensuring on-time completion of projects. For now, we can rest easy knowing that Valve is working on something, at least.

Lastly, Newell even chimed in on the recent Cyberpunk 2077 debacle, saying that he sympathizes with the game's developers and CD Projekt Red. He also addressed global Valve Index shortages, stating that the VR headset's production had been affected due to some parts being sourced from Wuhan.

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