Eric Wolpaw leaves Valve

Eric Wolpaw, a writer at Valve known for his work on Portal and Left 4 Dead, has left the company.

Wolpaw has announced his departure in a post on his Facebook, stating simply that he’s left Valve software but without giving any clue to where he’s going next. Wolpaw has been at Valve for over a decade, joining the company in 2004 before working on several of their hit franchises including Portal, Left 4 Dead and Half Life 2: Episode One and Episode Two. Before working at Valve, Wolpaw co-created gaming site Old Man Murray and was a senior writer at Gamespot, before serving as the writer for Double Fine Productions’ Psychonauts.

It’s this last point that seems to be most telling. Wolpaw has already been announced as a story and dialog collaborator on Double Fine’s forthcoming Psychonauts 2. Whether he’ll continue to work with Double Fine after production on that game wraps up is uncertain.

Wolpaw’s departure bodes poorly for those eagerly hoping for a third installment in the Portal, Left 4 Dead or Half-Life franchises.