Valve's Gabe Newell to Launch a Garden Gnome into Space for Charity

We don't hear from Gabe Newell, the big man behind Valve, very often. But when we do, it's always a treat. The Steam and Half Life executive recently revealed his plan to send a garden gnome into space for charity.

According to a report by Eurogamers Matt Wales, Gabe Newell (A.K.A. Gaben) will be entering a collaboration with Newell, Rocket Lab, and Weta Workshop. Weta is producing a 6-inch titanium recreation of Gnome Chompski, a specific garden decoration made famous from a Half Life 2: Episode 2 achievement. The figure will be sent into space by Rocket Lab as part of a rideshare mission with Flight 16.

Flight 16's main purpose is to launch 30 satellites into orbit. But by including the Gnome, they can test the 3D printing technique used, which may assist in future space programs. This does mean it will be dropped out of orbit, however, and come burning down to Earth. Don't worry, it will be destroyed before reaching the surface.

So why a gnome?

That's where the gamer part of this news beat comes in. Gnome Chompski is the name of a particular garden gnome present in Half Life 2: Episode 2. If the player manages to successfully carry this gnome from the beginning to the game, all the way to the end, they can place it in a rocket to space and earn an achievement called Little Rocket Man. The achievement was infamous for its difficulty, especially when any physics bugs cause the object to fly away while driving.

Since then, the gnome has become a meme of sorts for the company, appearing in other Valve properties like Left 4 Dead 2 and Half Life: Alyx. The premise is always the same: get them to the goal. So to commemorate this meme, Gaben is sending a real life Gnome Chompski to space.

It's for more than the jokes, too. The launch, which is currently marked to take place on November 14 in Mahia, New Zealand, will be livestreamed. And Newell has agreed to donate 1 dollar USD for every viewer that participated in the stream, either live or within the first 24 hours of the event taking place. The donation will be made to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit of children's hospital Starship, in Auckland, New Zealand.

It's heartwarming to see a games industry veteran do something benevolent like this. It's been a rough year for everyone. So something quirky and humorous like this, all which will be for a good cause, is just the kind of good news we need right now.

Maybe I'll go back and try to get that achievement for myself.