By Gearbox leader Randy Pitchford recounted a moment when he was conceptualizing a Half-Life centered notion and unexpectedly received an unrelated communication from Valve head Gabe Newell.
After departing from 3D Realms, Randy Pitchford became part of Rebel Boat Rocker alongside former colleagues, stating, “It was incredibly challenging. We were assuming every risk, developing a new game, creating a fresh engine, establishing a new IP, and building a company simultaneously,” Pitchford articulated in the Shacknews documentary 24 ‘Til Launch: The Making of Borderlands 4. However, if the studio isn’t familiar to you, it’s because its inaugural game was annulled by EA, prompting the team to disperse, many of whom went on to establish the Borderlands 4 creator Gearbox, as Pitchford noted, ” I reached out to some of the people I respected immensely, those I’d collaborated with, to see if they were interested in joining me to kickstart this venture.”
Pitchford mentioned, “I don’t subscribe to manifestation – I trust in coincidence – literally that same afternoon, with no initiative on my end, Gabe Newell contacted me because he had learned that we had left Rebel Boat Rocker and that I was embarking on a new project, and he wanted to inquire if we would consider collaborating on Half-Life.” He “promptly boarded a plane” and presented the concept that would eventually materialize as Half-Life: Opposing Force. However, at that time, Valve lacked ownership of Half-Life, with the rights held by the publisher Sierra.