Gabe Newell is mainly known for Steam and Valve – but with his research team Inkfish, he is taking a completely different path: They explore the ocean with high-tech submarines and even discovered unknown life forms.
Who is Gabe Newell and why is he suddenly doing ocean research? Gabe Newell is one of the most well-known figures in the gaming industry. As co-founder of Valve, he has significantly influenced the gaming world with games like Half-Life, Portal, and the Steam platform. What only a few know: Besides his passion for games, Newell has a second, rather unusual interest – the deep sea.
Through his private company Inkfish Expeditions, Gabe Newell promotes ambitious research around the hardly explored places on Earth. The goal: to make the previously unknown regions of the ocean visible, discover new species, and develop new technologies for extreme diving. The project is financed directly through Newell’s wealth (via kotaku).
How and what is the research team searching for? Inkfish commissioned the Hadal Exploration System in November 2022 – consisting of the research vessel DSSV Pressure Drop and the two-person submersible DSV Bakunawa – which can operate at depths of up to 11,500 m (via onboardonline). With this, the research team and its technology hold the record for the deepest manned dives in all five oceans.
Video shows incredible discoveries in the deep sea
A recently released video on the channel WaterCS2 shows what Newell’s team is really doing and discovering:
- Dives into some of the deepest known ocean trenches in the world
- HD footage of rare life forms
- and indications of potentially new life forms that have not yet been scientifically classified.
Thus, their work is reminiscent of the Steam game Subnautica. In the survival game, you land on an unknown planet and explore the deep sea. During this, you encounter various alien deep-sea life forms, not all of which are friendly.
In the video from Newell’s team, there are no aliens, but there is a deep-sea squid, transparent organisms, and other life forms that were previously unknown – including glowing beings that grow on rocks at the ocean floor, a blue-glowing octopus, and large shrimp-like creatures. One of these was even brought to the surface for examination.
What else can be expected from Inkfish? Currently, the website of the research team is offline (as of June 2025). However, it can be assumed that new discoveries will continuously be made in the future. After all, the ocean and its deep sea are among the least explored regions of the planet. Only about 5% have been studied so far (via DW).
Here, Gabe Newell’s capital plays a central role. Unlike purely state-funded projects, there are no long approval processes or government budget constraints with Inkfish. This allows for faster decisions and the use of the best technology – thus providing a real innovative advantage.
Gabe Newell is a multibillionaire and invests his money, among other things, in ocean research. Other billionaires also invest their money in various projects. The richest among them, Elon Musk, is now even trying his hand at gastronomy: Elon Musk plans his next conquest after electric cars and rockets: a restaurant of the future
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