Kim Swift, a designer of Valve's acclaimed first-person platformer
Portal, has left the
Half-Life creator to build up a new team at nearby
Dark Void developer Airtight Games.
The news was revealed in an announcement by Airtight. The company says Swift will hold the title of project lead at the studio, and will "build and lead a team in the development of games aimed at a more diverse audience."
No details about the nature of her first project were given, but Airtight Games president Jim Deal said her hiring "represents a strategic move by Airtight Games into new and broader gaming markets."
"I've learned so much and had some amazing experiences at Valve," said Swift in a statement. "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 rose to quick prominence in the game industry after she and the rest of her co-developers on the Digipen student project
Narbacular Drop were hired by Valve Software. That game served as the direct inspiration for
Portal's mechanics.
Airtight, located in Redmond, Washington, is not far from Bellevue, Washington-based Valve. It was founded largely by the core developers behind FASA Interactive's 2004 title
Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge. Capcom is publishing its first game, the jetpack-centric action game
Dark Void, due out next year for Xbox 360, PC, and PlayStation 3.
