Portal and Left 4 Dead dev Kim Swift is now with Xbox Game Studios, working as its senior director of cloud gaming.
Kim Swift is among the most well-known and respected figures in the gaming industry. Now, the former Valve dev comes in to help Microsoft’s cloud gaming.
All this comes with several rumors of her upcoming work, including potential cloud-only game from Hideo Kojima.
Swift to help with Xbox cloud gaming
Xbox Game Studios is Xbox’s publishing arm, known to be the parent company for several big studios. Among these include Double Fine Productions, Mojang, and even Obsidian, which are big and known studios among them too.
Our team focuses on three pillars in our games: Community, Innovation and Inclusivity. Today, @K2TheSwift joins us in XGS Publishing to accelerate our Innovation and collaborate with independent studios to build games for the cloud.
Welcome to the team, Kim! pic.twitter.com/pM3E5Xxyrt
— Xbox Game Studios Publishing (@XboxPublishing) June 21, 2021
Now, XGS hired one of the more famous devs over the past couple of decades. Kim Swift has an expansive resume behind her, chief among them being one of the creators of Portal. She is also known as a dev for another beloved Valve franchise, Left 4 Dead.
Swift has now signed with Xbox Games Studios Publishing to “collaborate with independent studios to build games for the cloud.”
“Our team focuses on three pillars in our games: Community, Innovation, and Inclusivity,” said Xbox Game Studios Publishing on Twitter. “Today, @K2TheSwift joins us in XGS Publishing to accelerate our Innovation and collaborate with independent studios to build games for the cloud. Welcome to the team, Kim!”
Rumors: Hideo Kojima title coming to Xbox cloud
Kim Swift’s work on Portal started with her creation of the concept itself. Swift was among the original team for Narbacular Drop, which was a predecessor to Portal. However, she is now a part of Xbox’s cloud gaming, where she’ll help develop games.
Hey, Kim Swift is specifically going to help Hideo Kojima make his Xbox game. I hope this helps you form your conspiracy theories. https://t.co/bicWkByqeA
— Grubb (@JeffGrubb) June 21, 2021
Swift also has extensive experience with cloud gaming. Until recently, she was the creative director for Google Stadia’s first-party publishing arm. Furthermore, she left after Google decided to dissolve her department.
“Kim is going to build a team focused on new experiences in the cloud, something that’s going to support our mission of bringing our Xbox games to connect 3 billion gamers to play our games,” said Xbox Game Studios Publishing head Peter Wyse.
Kim will also be crucial in another upcoming project. In a tweet, Jeff Grubb notes that part of her job will be helping Hideo Kojima develop a new game for the platform.
“Hey, Kim Swift is specifically going to help Hideo Kojima make his Xbox game,” says Grubb. “I hope this helps you form your conspiracy theories.”
Whatever Kim Swift will do for Microsoft, she’ll likely help improve their offerings in the future. More news should come out in the near future.
Featured image courtesy of Valve/Youtube Screenshot