Portal 2 co-writer Jay Pinkerton has returned to the company after leaving in 2017 to focus on other projects.

Rumours first emerged through Reddit user OWLverlord when Pinkerton’s name appeared on the company staff page alongside a short biography of sorts.

Pinkerton left the company after fellow Portal 2 co-writers Erik Wolpaw and Chet Faliszek in June 2017 during a period where much of the company’s writing talent departed.

Aside from Portal 2, Pinkerton also had a hand in writing parts of Left 4 Dead and supplemental materials such as the Team Fortress 2 comic series.

Of course, many fans have jumped to the conclusion that Pinkerton’s sudden return is related to a sequel to either Portal or Left 4 Dead, both of which have remained dormant for several years now.

Much of Valve’s focus recently has been on the Steam platform itself and its foray into virtual reality with HTC Vive, technology which continues to mature with the new Pro iteration.

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Valve co-founder Gabe Newell said in a Reddit AMA in March 2018 that the company now has the resources to “develop hardware and software simultaneously,” indicating that it’s now focusing on either new IP or existing franchises.

Would you like to see a sequel for Portal 2 or Left 4 Dead 2? Will Valve finally count to three? Let us know on Facebook and Twitter @trustedreviews.

Gaming Editor Jade is the Gaming Editor at Trusted Reviews. She handles all things gaming whether it be news, reviews, events or silly features. Seen at outlets such as MTV UK, Kotaku and Trusted Reviews (obviously…