Gabe Newell reportedly funds $815 million deep sea research vessel for Inkfish

Gabe Newell is reportedly helping fund a massive new deep sea research vessel through Inkfish, the ocean research organization he founded in 2021. The vessel, called RV11000, is said to cost around $815 million and is being built by Norwegian shipbuilder VARD for scientific missions in some of the deepest parts of the ocean.

The project is unusual because Newell is best known as the co founder of Valve and Steam, not for deep sea exploration. But Inkfish has already been involved in ocean research with vessels such as RV Hydra and RV Dagon, and RV11000 appears to be its most ambitious project yet.

The new ship is being designed to support submarine operations, map uncharted seafloor areas, and help scientists study the deepest and least understood parts of Earth’s oceans. It is expected to be completed in 2030, when it will join Inkfish’s research fleet.

RV11000 is enormous. The ship is 162 meters long, or about 531 feet, and is being built to operate in areas reaching depths of up to 11,000 meters. That depth rating would allow researchers to explore some of the most extreme ocean environments on the planet, including abyssal and hadal zones that remain difficult to access.

The vessel will be able to support up to 130 crew members and scientists. It will also include research labs, high resolution seafloor mapping systems, and a large hangar capable of holding two submarines. Those features suggest the ship is meant for long, serious expeditions rather than short demonstration missions.

One of the more interesting features is the ship’s power system. RV11000 is reportedly being equipped with what is described as the world’s largest battery, allowing it to run silently for up to 12 hours during scientific operations. That matters because deep sea research often depends on sensitive scanners, long cables, and crewed submersibles, where noise and movement can interfere with data collection.

The ship will also use four active stabilizers and advanced station keeping systems. These should help it remain steady during complex work at sea, especially when handling submarines, mapping tools, or equipment lowered thousands of meters below the surface.

The accommodations are also being designed for long missions. RV11000 will include high quality living spaces, 100 percent fresh air ventilation, premium materials, and strong indoor air quality. That may sound like a luxury detail, but comfort and air quality can matter on long expeditions where researchers and crew members spend extended periods at sea.

The project highlights how much of the deep ocean remains unexplored. Scientists still know relatively little about many deep sea ecosystems, geological formations, and the creatures that survive under extreme pressure. A vessel like RV11000 could help researchers study those areas more safely and more consistently.

It also arrives at a time when deep sea exploration is gaining new attention. Better mapping, improved submarines, stronger batteries, and more advanced sensors are making it easier to reach places that were once almost impossible to study. Inkfish appears to be investing heavily in that future.

For Newell, the project shows an unexpected shift from gaming and software into ocean science. Valve helped define modern PC gaming, but Inkfish is focused on one of the least understood parts of the natural world. If RV11000 performs as planned, it could become one of the most advanced private research vessels ever built.

The ship is still years away from completion, so its real scientific impact will take time to judge. But on paper, RV11000 is a major bet on deep sea discovery, and it could give researchers a powerful new platform for exploring the parts of Earth that remain almost completely unknown.