Jay Pinkerton, a video game writer whose credits include Portal 2, Left 4 Dead, and Team Fortress 2, has seemingly returned to Valve.
Reddit user OWLverlord noticed that Pinkerton is now listed on the Valve staff page under the “Other Experts” section. The funny thing about that listing is that Pinkerton left Valve back in June around the same time that Valve writers Chet Faliszek, Mark Laidlaw, and Erik Wolpaw left the famous studio. Since then, there has been no official word from Valve or Pinkerton regarding the writer’s possible return to the company.
Assuming that his inclusion on the staff page isn’t a typo – which we doubt is the case – we are now left to wonder why Pinkerton has returned to Valve and what his current role is.
Given that Pinkerton is listed under the “Other Experts” category, it’s entirely possible that Pinkerton is serving as an advisor of sorts. That would explain why his return wasn’t a bigger deal in terms of public statements. However, there’s also the possibility that Laidlaw has returned as a full-time employee whose current role expands beyond being a writer for the studio’s games.
At the same time, Pinkerton’s return couldn’t have come at a more intersting time for Valve. More and more people with knowledge of Valve’s intentions indicate that Valve is interested in making games again. While that might just mean more VR projects, it’s entirely possible that the studio is genuinely interested in pursuing some more traditional Valve projects and have brought Pinkerton back in to recatpure some of that old Valve magic.
We’ll keep you updated as we hear more.