Valve hires System Shock man Doug Church

Washington-based studio Valve has hired Doug Church, the renowned game designer whose CV lists seminal projects such as Ultima Underworld, System Shock and Thief.

The appointment is uncommonly high-profile for Valve, which already can draw from its own squad of experienced lead game designers.

Valve didn’t announce the appointment, but confirmed the move to Game Informer following a buzz of rumours on  social networks.

Church, a code-literate designer, has been working on game projects for over twenty years.

Having made major contributions at Looking Glass Studios, he left the group in 1999 to work as a consultant for numerous studios.

His most recent full-time position was at EA Los Angeles. His new role at Vale is unknown.