Gaming billionaire spends £600m on 'most advanced marine research vessel'

Gabe Newell, the gaming entrepreneur, is behind the world’s most expensive marine research vessel, the RV11000. The contract with Norwegian shipyard VARD, via Inkfish, is valued at nearly €700 million (£595 million) and marks the largest order of its kind for a Norwegian yard. At 162 meters long and 28 meters wide, the RV11000 will surpass Inkfish's earlier RV6000 and join a growing fleet that includes RV Hydra and RV Dagon.

Designed by VARD Design in Ålesund, Norway, in collaboration with Inkfish and technical partner YTMC, the vessel is built for deep-ocean work including seabed mapping, sediment coring, and remotely operated vehicle deployment. It can launch and recover submarines, operate ROVs at extreme depths, and carry a 40-meter coring system with advanced oceanographic sensors. The RV11000 will accommodate up to 130 crew and scientists and will feature the largest battery installation ever fitted to a vessel, enabling about 12 hours of silent operation.