{
  "id": 9606290,
  "title": "Counter-Strike Co-Creator Says Gabe Newell Got So Obsessed With Mongolian Throat Singing at Valve HQ That Staff Started Closing Their Office Doors to Escape the Noise",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/counter-strike-co-creator-says-gabe-newell-got-so-obsessed-with",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-24T18:03:28.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "IGN",
    "slug": "ign",
    "url": "https://www.ign.com/articles/counter-strike-co-creator-says-gabe-newell-got-so-obsessed-with-mongolian-throat-singing-at-valve-hq-that-staff-started-closing-their-office-doors-to-escape-the-noise"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Valve co-creator Minh Le recounted a peculiar incident involving their boss, Gabe Newell, in an interview. Le noted that Newell developed an obsession with Mongolian throat singing during his time at Valve. Mongolian throat singing, known as Khöömei, is a vocal technique that involves circular breathing to produce multiple notes at once. Le explained that Newell stumbled upon a documentary about this unique skill and became fascinated by it. Consequently, Newell started practicing throat singing throughout Valve's offices, which led to his employees closing their office doors to escape the noise. This behavior caused a significant disruption in the office environment, making it quite closed off. Newell's practice lasted for about five months before he eventually stopped. This anecdote is not an isolated incident, as another veteran, Charlie Brown, also mentioned Newell's Tuvan throat singing phase in the Half-Life 2: 20th Anniversary Documentary. Fans have taken this story to heart, creating memes and jokes about Newell's quirky habit, which has led to a resurgence of interest in his Mongolian throat singing phase.",
  "summary": "In an interview with game consultant Indie Game Joe, Counter-Strike co-creator Minh Le revealed a hilarious anecdote about Valve boss Gabe Newell that’s going viral for just how absurd it is.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}