Steam creator Gabe Newell has been quietly building out Inkfish, pouring huge sums into a science-oriented fleet. Alongside an RV6000 currently under construction, he’s backed a flagship named RV11000 — cost est. $800M.
The ship is about 162 m long and configured for roughly 130 ppl, designed to work at very great depths. What sets the project apart is its power approach: enormous battery banks will let the vessel run in a near-silent mode, which helps when trying to observe fragile seabed ecosystems without disturbance. Commissioning is targeted for 2030; if that schedule holds, RV11000 will join the fleet then — and whether it changes how we study the ocean floor is something only time (and the sea) will tell.