Overview
- Norwegian shipbuilder VARD confirmed in May 2026 that it secured a contract to build the RV11000 for Gabe Newell’s Inkfish at a reported cost of about $800–815 million.
- The custom 162‑meter ship is designed to accommodate roughly 130 scientists and crew and has a planned delivery in the first quarter of 2030.
- RV11000 is rated for missions to about 11,000 meters and will include two crewed‑submersible hangars, a launch system for submarines, large seabed‑sampling gear, and specialized deep‑lifting equipment.
- VARD and Inkfish say the vessel will carry what they describe as the largest battery installation ever fitted to a ship to allow up to 12 hours of quiet operation for low‑noise science.
- Inkfish plans to add RV11000 to its growing fleet and publish expedition data in open scientific repositories, a move that could broaden access to deep‑sea research and speed mapping of underexplored seafloor.