Peter H. Konig is a senior concept artist with over 25 years of experience in the entertainment industry. This includes over 30 films, and numerous high-profile games. In January of 2008, he began work at Valve, where he did artwork on Left 4 Dead 2, Portal 2, and Dota 2. He is also believed to have done some work for Valve’s mysterious new intellectual property: “SOB“. We don’t know much regarding SOB, although some possible footage of the game was leaked two months ago.
But as you can tell from the title, we’ve got some bad news for you today. We’ve just learned that Peter Konig appears to have departed from Valve. The resume found on his official site shows that Peter is currently working at Microsoft’s 343 Industries on Halo 4, and his LinkedIn profile reveals that he stopped working at Valve in January.
This is a huge shame, since Peter was one of Valve’s greatest artists, and was the visionary behind Valve’s most twisted creatures, as well as its most fascinating environments – most of which we haven’t even seen as of yet. Still, he’s not the first to leave Valve, nor will he be the last – although I do find it interesting that he’s the second veteran Valve dev linked to SOB, who’s left the company, in just a couple of months.
That said, I remain confident that SOB will remain on track, in whatever shape or form it may take in the future. Here’s hoping we hear more about it soon.
I don’t quite understand the decision. Unless you really like Halo, with Valve you could just start on your own project if you don’t like making concept art for some space game.
I have to admit – neither do I. Still, I have no doubt that it was an amiable split.
No Portal 2 pics on his website, what a shame!
The SOB art strongly reminds me of Freelancer, one of my most favorite games.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/05/Freelancer_Bretonia_City_Concept.jpg
And that brief moment in the Gray Horsfield video with the space ship reminds me of Battleship Osiris from Freelancer:
http://img29.imageshack.us/img29/6558/osiris.png
VALVE WILL NOT CO-OPERATE OR WORK WITH BUNGIE.
Nothing to state valve employees can’t quit and join them
(yes I know bungie aren’t doing halo anymore…however…it just struck a chord)
That’s slightly misleading – Bungie is only forbidden from co-developing Activision’s “Destiny” with Valve (as well as Epic and Gearbox).
Apart from that, Bungie can do whatever they want with Valve – and I would KILL for a Marathon 4 written by Marc Laidlaw. In fact, Marathon 4 could use the extra hands on deck, since Bungie are only allowed to assign like… 5% of the company to it.
as long as them awesome writers eric wolpaw n Chet n stuff, still there. But peter have you fun playing with ur lame xbox game…
Wouldn’t call Halo 4 lame until you’ve actually played it? Don’t judge the book by it covers.
Halo SUCKS!
Yeah PC MASTER RACE AMIRITE? /sarcasm
Come on, grow the hell up and let people play what they want to. I personally prefer PC but if some people wnat to play something else let them be.
Yeah, it’s pretty silly to say that just because Halo is a console franchise, especially if one hasn’t even played it at all. Because Halo really is damn good – although I have my doubts regarding Halo 4 itself.
Halo SUCKS!!
Did we accidentally break you?
That’d be sad.
Watch out! We got a Call Of Duty badass over here!
as long as them awesome writers eric wolpaw n Chet n stuff, still there. But peter have you fun playing with ur lame xbox game.
I am made sad.
Yeah that’s always a bummer when a talent leaves a company, but hey, perhaps Halo 4 will be awesome because of it.
Also, I totally get the prediction that SOB might be dead…but what if his departure is a clue that the game is actually mostly designed and in full production now? Do concept artists stick with a game all the way through shipping the product? I ask forgiveness in advance if this is a dumb question…I don’t work in the industry.
You make a very good point – it is possible, I’d say.
It’s possible, and I’d say it’s more likely SOB is not dead. Otherwise, why have all the concept art up on the walls, and cover them up to hide them from visitors, if the project was abandoned?
We haven’t seen the concept art for a good 10 months now, also who said anything about “covering them up” and hiding them? If they are covered up then there doing a pretty terrible job. For example just look on Peter Konig’s website, there’s all the concept art we saw for SOB. http://www.peterhkonig.com/#/111258
You know what? Nevermind.
I think SOB is dead. For the reason is that we’re seeing all these art assets and designs on portfolio websites. It’s the same with Ep4 which we know is long dead. So from my view SOB has been shelved and is dead.
It’s a real shame. He had done some really influential art design, plus lots of stuff I wouldn’t have minded seeing in HL.
I liked his work, but at this point, I don’t really care what I see in HL… I just want to see SOMETHING in HL.