Kim Swift leaves Valve for Airtight

By Tom Bramwell Published 8 December, 2009

Joins Dark Void dev to do new things.

Kim Swift has left Valve to join Dark Void developer Airtight Games.

"I've learned so much and had some amazing experiences at Valve," Swift said in a press release (thanks Kotaku).

"But when I heard I had the opportunity to work on innovative titles with my friends over at Airtight, I couldn't pass it up."

Swift, best known for her contribution to the excellent Portal, had been hired straight out of school along with fellow Digipen students who worked on Narbacular Drop. (It's a sweet story - check out this old Rock, Paper, Shotgun interview for a reminder.)

Airtight Games president Jim Deal said that the addition of Swift, who apparently joins as a project leader, "represents a strategic move by Airtight Games into new and broader gaming markets".

Swift was in the news earlier this year when Valve reportedly discouraged her from contributing to GDC's Game Design Challenge due to the proposed subject matter. However, there's no suggestion this had anything to do with Swift's departure from the company.

Nor is there any more news on Portal 2 gnnrrngnghh come on!

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (23) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Dizzy #1 2 years ago

    Bad move.... she will probably get more money, but Valve for Airtight? Silly girl.

  • glottis0 #2 2 years ago

    Funny how we only hear about her and not the other portal guys...

  • M_of_the_sys #3 2 years ago

    @glottis0

    Are the other portal guys moving to Airtight too?

  • nuanimal #4 2 years ago

    @ Glottis0

    Yes, but she's more of a poster girl than the other Portal guys...

    EDIT: Hmmm... why the negs...? Check out the link in comment #21... thats probably a bit more expansive on my point...
    Edited by 2 at 08/12/09 @ 15:43

  • Eraser #5 2 years ago

    "Bad move.... she will probably get more money, but Valve for Airtight?"

    Why is it a bad move? Do you know the background behind this decision? Theres more to choosing a company to work at than how much units they sell. Having Valve on your resumé is a good thing in that industry, but there's more than just Valve you know. Maybe she even gets a bigger paycheck at the end of the month at Airtight. Maybe she can do work there that she's more interested in than what she can do at Valve. Maybe she gets the chance to work on a big title at Airtight rather than on relatively small "bonus titles" that are shipped with Valve's flagship titles (such as Portal).

  • duffster #6 2 years ago

    Who? Honestly, who gives a shit.

    e: Yay, bring on the negs!!

    @Skurmedel That's 9 people actually so far
    Edited by 2 at 08/12/09 @ 11:05

  • Skurmedel #7 2 years ago

    5 people at least.

  • TruWari3r #8 2 years ago

    Which will come first, Portal 2 or HL Episode 3?

  • mkreku #9 2 years ago

    Maybe she just wanted to work for a company that ships more than one title per five years?

  • Headache #10 2 years ago

    Maybe she just wanted to work for a company that ships more than one title per five years?
    Was the wait for Left 4 Dead 2 so bad?

  • Wolverfrog #11 2 years ago

    Why would anyone willingly leave Valve?

  • jambo74 #12 2 years ago

    @TruWari3r

    I would say Half Life 3

  • Springchicken #13 2 years ago

    Ooh, Airtight. Isn't that made up of a few of the guys who used to be FASA Corporation?

    Hope she gets a free rein to make something she's passionate about. Can't wait to see her work on something completely different.

  • Buztafen #14 2 years ago

    Guess she just wanted to be made airtight...geddit...AIR-TIGHT!...

    /gets flasher coat
    /runs

  • octavedoctor #15 2 years ago

    Would have to agree with Eraser to a degree. Working in the industry I can tell you that there are a lot of companies that release some of gaming's biggest titles that can be hell to work at, for all kinds of reasons, and not just to do with the company itself.

    Moving on... I did enjoy Portal very much, but would love to see HL3 at some point.. As for Dark Void - I wish they'd use colours other than brown.

  • davisorle #16 2 years ago

    Might be feeling bad/wrong or whatever knowing a "portal" person left Valvue but when you think abou tit, the way she got in Valve was by doing what they liked in the first place, so moving where more of her friends are working at and keep doing what they like sounds great to me. Good luck.

  • Boomerang #17 2 years ago

    VALVe's loss; it's a coup for Airtight getting someone properly innovative on their books. A monster poach.

  • ChthonicEcho #18 2 years ago

    Hm, must be creative differences that frustrated her. A year ago, she was so excited and proud to work on Portal 2 that she let it slip in an interview prior to the official announcement. And now she leaves? Does not bode well for the game.

  • Miths #19 2 years ago

    @Buztafen

    I'm sort of ashamed to say that was the first thought that crossed my mind as well. Maybe I should take a break from my video collection for a week or two :p.

  • robg #20 2 years ago

    See also The Kim Swift Syndrome

  • Ryboy #21 2 years ago

    What a complete a total retard. Valve for Airtight?!

    Stupid twat.

  • Skurmedel #22 2 years ago

    Buztafen: nice but you could go even further and joke about a persons portal. I will not go there... oh I just did. I'm a sexist :(
    Edited by 1 at 08/12/09 @ 13:08

  • Bravestinsane #23 2 years ago

    Not everyone is greedy and does things for money.

    Perhaps she just wanted to try something new, a new game style she hasn't done before. I like how people automatically assumes shes after cash, when she is a developer and not the company owner.