Ex-Valve studio Turtle Rock makes comeback

Turtle Rock Studios has reformed and started hiring staff, having previously been bought and broken up by Valve.

The Californian outfit was acquired by Valve in 2008 – a buyout made after the group impressed Valve with its various CounterStrike ports and expansions.

Turtle Rock started out development on Left 4 Dead back in 2005. Three years later, and months before the release of the zombie-filled FPS, Turtle Rock was renamed Valve South.

However, the rebranded studio did not stand for long. Soon after the release of Left 4 Dead, Valve asked staff to join its Washington studio – of which several complied – and closed down the Valve South division.

The long relationship between Valve and Turtle Rock, however, had always been amicable.

It is not clear what upcoming projects Turtle Rock has in the pipeline, though Michael Booth – a close friend of Valve – is back heading up the studio.