Valve Half-Life: Alyx modder hire could indicate big things to come

pcgamesn.com:

First-party Valve games are almost as recognizable for their contribution to the world of video games as we know it, as they are for being some of the most moddable titles out there, and Half-life: Alyx is no exception.  The PC VR shooter has seen a plethora of mods over the years since its original release, and some of the most impressive Half-Life: Alyx mods have impressed Valve so much, that it has hired the developer behind them.

Nate Grove, the modder in question, is behind some of the most expansive single-player campaign mods created for the VR game, Half-Life: Alyx. The most recent mod they helped create, Re-Education, is a medium-length DLC-style story, where you play as Alyx trying to make their way through a creepy, abandoned school found within the outskirts of City 17. As you progress, you’re tasked with making your way back to a train, while experiencing a slow-paced story on the way. This mod was received well online and on Steam, with many commenters praising it for its “attention to detail” and great storytelling.

Now, it’s apparent that Valve itself has caught on to the Grove’s impressive work, as the modder took to Twitter (X) to share the news of their new position. On the social media platform, Grove stated that they have “good news to share, I have officially started at Valve.”

Grove went on to explain that their work on Re-Education, and their previous mod, Incursion, was a “huge contributing factor” to their hire and that it’s a dream for them to work for Valve.

The act of hiring Nate Grove could be a further indication that Valve is cooking up something new in the VR space. Only just over a week ago, Steam VR got a dedicated 2.0 upgrade, and according to Valve, the new additions to its VR