After a complicated series of relationships with brief owner Valve Software, California-based independent studio Turtle Rock (Left 4 Dead) is back in action and working on upcoming games.
After a complicated series of relationships with brief owner Valve Software, California-based independent studio Turtle Rock is back in action and working on upcoming games. Founded in 2002 by Counter-Strike bot programmer Michael Booth, Turtle Rock worked on a number of Counter-Strike-related project with Valve before initiating the co-op action game Left 4 Dead and being acquired by Valve. As Valve's Doug Lombardi explained to Gamasutra last year, approximately ten Turtle Rock employees moved up to Valve's Bellevue, Washington headquarters, but some -- including Booth -- declined to transfer, and Valve eventually shut the studio down some time after Left 4 Dead shipped. Booth maintained a close relationship with Valve, and Lombardi further told Gamasutra that Booth was continuing to operate a development group, likely again under the name Turtle Rock. Now, the studio has relaunched its official website, confirming the continued use of its original name. Last week, the company released the automotive maintenance app Garage Buddy for iPhone, as it advertises multiple open positions for a new full-scale game. Lombardi previously confirmed to Gamasutra that Turtle Rock's next game is again a collaboration with Valve, demonstrating continued contact between the studios despite the complex series of events. Rumors of a Turtle Rock game codenamed "Whiskey Sour" have circulated among the Left 4 Dead modding community for weeks, based on mentions of the phrase in official Valve level design documentation.
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