Gabe Newell is basically playing Subnautica in real life. Most people know him as "Gaben," the mastermind behind Steam and the man who seemingly can't count to three when it comes to Half-Life sequels. But while the internet memes about the Steam Summer Sale, Newell has been quietly assembling an armada. It isn't just a mid-life crisis or a hobby for a billionaire with too much time on his hands. It’s a massive, multi-million dollar bet on the last truly unexplored frontier on Earth.
The center of this storm is a 111-meter beast named Leviathan. Delivered in late 2025 by the Dutch shipyard Oceanco—a company Newell liked so much he literally bought it—the Leviathan is part superyacht, part floating laboratory. Honestly, calling it a "ship" feels like an understatement. It's more of a mobile command center for a man who has spent the last few years living almost entirely at sea.
What is the Gabe Newell Ocean Research Ship?
There isn't just one ship. To understand what's happening, you have to look at Inkfish, Newell’s marine research organization. While the Leviathan is the shiny new flagship, the actual heavy lifting for deep-sea science happens across a fleet that looks like something out of a Bond villain's dream.
- The RV6000: This is the big one currently in the works. It’s a 100-meter purpose-built explorer vessel designed to carry 70 scientists into the most remote parts of the ocean. It’s roughly the size of an NFL football field.
- The Bakunawa (formerly Limiting Factor): This is arguably the most important piece of tech Newell owns. It’s a two-person submersible capable of diving to 11,000 meters. That is full ocean depth. It can go to the bottom of the Mariana Trench and come back without breaking a sweat.
- The Dagon: The primary support vessel for the Bakunawa. If the sub is the spear, Dagon is the hand that throws it.
The Leviathan itself, while luxurious, isn't just for show. It was built with a diesel-electric hybrid plant to allow for silent operation. Why does silence matter? Because when you’re trying to map the sea floor or track bioluminescent life, a loud engine is the best way to ruin your data. The ship features a full-scale hospital, a science lab, and, because it's Gabe, about 15 high-end gaming stations and two racing simulators.
Why the Deep Sea?
You’ve probably heard the stat that we know more about the surface of Mars than the bottom of our own oceans. Newell seems genuinely bothered by that. Through Inkfish, he’s been funding expeditions that do "open science." This means the data they collect—mapping the abyss, discovering new species, testing water columns—isn't kept behind a paywall. It’s shared with the global research community.
In 2025, things took a bit of a weird turn. Inkfish started focusing on "biodefense" and pandemic preparedness. They’ve been using these ships to study wastewater and aerosol pathogens. It sounds like a plot from a sci-fi game, but it’s real. They’re looking for the next pandemic in the sewage of the sea, using ultra-deep sequencing technology to find things like H5N1 avian flu before they hit land.
The Oceanco Connection
In August 2025, Newell did something very "Valve." He didn't just commission a boat; he bought the entire shipyard. Oceanco is one of the premier custom yacht builders in the world. They’re the same people who built Jeff Bezos’s massive sailing yacht, Koru.
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By owning the shipyard, Newell basically removed the middleman. He wanted a ship that could serve as a sanctuary and a research hub simultaneously. Traditionally, research vessels are cramped, loud, and uncomfortable. Superyachts are the opposite. Newell’s vision is to bridge that gap. He wants the world’s best scientists to have the best tools, but he also wants them to have a comfortable place to sleep.
The Leviathan (Project Y722) represents this "human-centric" design. It replaced high-maintenance materials like teak with composites. It has floor-to-ceiling glass because, well, the view is the point.
Is this just a Billionaire's Playground?
It’s easy to be cynical. A $500 million yacht with a hospital and a sub garage feels like peak "eat the rich" territory. But there’s a nuance here that’s different from your average billionaire space race.
Unlike NASA or state-funded oceanographic institutes (like NOAA), Inkfish doesn't have to deal with government red tape. If Gabe wants to send a sub to a specific trench in the Pacific tomorrow, he just does it. There are no budget committees. This "speed to science" has already led to the discovery of new bioluminescent squids and transparent organisms that haven't been seen before.
What Most People Get Wrong
One big misconception is that these are just "pleasure cruises." The crew on the Leviathan and the RV6000 includes specialized aviation teams, subsea engineers, and world-class biologists. They’re running 24/7 operations in some of the most hostile environments on the planet.
Another point of confusion: the names. Newell is a massive fan of The Expanse and Don Quixote. One of his other ships is named Rocinante, and the support ship for it is Wingman. He’s building a literal fleet of sci-fi-inspired vessels to solve very real-world problems.
Practical Insights: The Future of Deep-Sea Tech
If you're following the "Gabe Newell ocean research ship" saga, here is what you actually need to know about where this is heading:
- Open Data is the Goal: Keep an eye on the Inkfish website. They semi-regularly release footage and data sets that are free for anyone to use.
- Autonomous Tech: The fleet is moving toward more ROVs (Remotely Operated Vehicles) that can stay down longer than humans. The RV6000 is designed specifically to handle these at depths of 6,000 meters.
- Cross-Disciplinary Science: The merger of neuroscience (through Newell's other company, Starfish) and marine biology is the next "big thing." They are looking at how the brain handles high-pressure environments, which has massive implications for future human exploration.
Newell has famously said that he lives at sea because it’s the most efficient way for him to work. He’s not retiring; he’s just changing the office. Whether he’s finding new life forms or just hiding from the people asking for Half-Life 3, his maritime empire is quickly becoming one of the most important private scientific endeavors in history.
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If you want to track his progress, follow the maritime AIS (Automatic Identification System) for the Leviathan or Dagon. They are usually spotted around the Netherlands for outfitting or near deep-sea trenches where the actual work happens. Keep an eye on the 2026 delivery schedules for the RV6000—that’s when the real "Subnautica" stuff begins.