Video Gamer is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Prices subject to change. Learn more
Campo Santo confirmed that In the Valley of Gods has been shelved while its team works on new and current projects within Valve, as shared in a statement from the developer (via Polygon).
In the Valley of Gods was revealed in 2017. It would be the second title from Campo Santo, which enjoyed unprecedented success with its debut, Firewatch. In this new game, the player would film a documentary with their partner in a “remote and ancient valley in the Egyptian desert, uncovering treasure and treachery in pursuit of a discovery that could bring you fame and fortune—or leave you for dead, buried beneath the sand.” With a bluesy soundtrack and rich visual design, it looked fantastic and captured the fascination of fans.
In 2018, Campo Santo was acquired by Valve. Co-founder Sean Vanaman was quick to explain that this move wouldn’t affect In the Valley of Gods’ development. “It's all [still] in Unity, and we use all the same tools, and we do everything the same,” he said, expressing that the acquisition was like a “mindshare” rather than a hierarchical shift. “The thing that was going to kill our game wasn't an overlord. It's never going to be that. That's just not what exists here,” Vanaman assured.
However, people noticed that In the Valley of Gods developers had removed the game from their Twitter profiles with no formal announcement from either party. Valve unveiled Half-Life: Alyx last week, and confirmed that Campo Santo employees were brought on board to that VR venture. Yet, there was no word on the status of In the Valley of Gods, until now.
Campo Santo co-founder Jake Rodkin broke the news in a statement. “To fans looking forward to In the Valley of Gods, it’s probably clear that the optimistic ‘2019’ at the end of the announcement trailer isn’t going to be accurate,” he began. As Campo Santo integrated with Valve, the developers were pulled towards Half-Life: Alyx, Dota Underlords, Steam, and various other enterprises. This happened of their own volition, Rodkin expressed. “In the Valley of Gods development is on hold—but it certainly feels like a project people can and may return to,” he concluded.
Half-Life: Alyx touches down on the Valve Index and all other VR headsets in March 2020. In the Valley of Gods’ launch on PC is currently “TBD”.
