In a stunning cross-industry development, Dutch superyacht yard Oceanco has been officially acquired by American video game titan Gabe Newell, co-founder of Valve and the creator of major gaming franchises including Half-Life, Portal, and the Steam platform.
This marks one of the most unexpected mergers between tech and ultra-luxury craftsmanship, positioning Newell at the helm of one of the world’s most prestigious custom yacht builders.
From Code to Craftsmanship
Oceanco, founded in 1987 and refined under the Barwani family’s leadership over the past 15 years, has become synonymous with innovation and scale in the superyacht world. It has launched some of the most iconic vessels of the past two decades, including:
- Kaos – a 110-meter palace of sophistication
- Bravo Eugenia – known for its sleek efficiency
- H3 – awarded for a radical rebuild transformation
- Koru – the largest sailing yacht in the world
- Black Pearl – the second-largest and a technological marvel in sail-assisted propulsion
Despite selling Oceanco, the Barwani family will remain engaged in the yachting space through their continued ownership of Turquoise Yachts.
A Vision Beyond Ownership
In a joint statement, Oceanco emphasized that this acquisition is “not about buying a yacht company. It’s about plugging into a team and exploring what kind of future they can create when nothing holds them back.”
Newell, known affectionately as “GabeN” in the gaming world, is bringing his philosophy of deep creative involvement and long-term thinking to the maritime stage. “Gabe Newell is not entering this world as a financier or a strategist, but as a hands-on visionary who respects the sea, the craft, and above all, the people who make it possible,” the statement continued.
This signals a future of potential synergies between Oceanco’s deep naval engineering expertise and Newell’s tech-forward mindset—possibly hinting at advanced integration of technology, automation, and immersive experiences on board future vessels.
Full Steam Ahead
The acquisition comes as Oceanco is amid one of its busiest periods to date, with four custom projects over 80 metres currently under construction. Among them is the 111-metre Y726, launched just last month, signaling that the yard remains fully operational and creatively charged.
With this surprising yet promising transition, all eyes in both the tech and yachting industries will be watching how Gabe Newell steers Oceanco into its next chapter—blending Silicon Valley ingenuity with Dutch boatbuilding heritage.
