Mind-Blowing Video of Shelved Valve Game Surfaces

Although we never had the chance to experience In the Valley of the Gods, the game from the creators of Firewatch that faced indefinite delays following its acquisition by Valve, insights into what could have been have recently emerged. A former developer has shared some intriguing footage showcasing aspects of the game.

Matthew Wilde, a visual effects artist currently at Valve and previously part of the In the Valley of the Gods team, posted a video clip on Bluesky highlighting the water visuals tested during development. The realism of the water effects is still evident, despite the compression from social media uploads.

Matthew Wilde, the Valve developer in charge of the water shader for Counter-Strike 2, has released rare gameplay footage showcasing the water technology initially tested for In The Valley of Gods before Valve took over Campo Santo. The team ultimately shelved the game shortly thereafter… pic.twitter.com/wIs6Im8KYx

— Gabe Follower (@gabefollower) November 11, 2024

Wilde has made significant contributions to water effects and shaders in Counter-Strike 2. He previously discussed how the team achieved this level of realism. While we’ve observed impressive water physics in recent games, in 2018, Campo Santo developers developed a GPU-based simulation that accounted for factors like depth, velocity, and proximity to obstacles. The resulting textures fed directly into the shader.

You can view the clip linked above, but it’s been a while since many have thought about In the Valley of the Gods. Campo Santo achieved critical acclaim with Firewatch before being acquired by Valve in 2018. The game, originally a single-player adventure, was intended for release under the Campo Santo banner but became part of Valve’s offerings after the acquisition, with plans for a 2019 launch.

However, as the team shifted focus to other Valve projects like Half-Life: Alyx, the game faced delays. Campo Santo co-founder Jake Rodkin noted that while it wasn’t canceled, it was “on hold.” Interestingly, the Steam page for the game remains active, indicating a release date set for “December 2029.”