It’s the question that’s haunted gamers for nearly two decades: is Half-Life 3 finally happening? After years of vaporware memes and wild speculation, new leaks have the internet ablaze – and for the first time, there’s reason to believe Valve’s elusive sequel might be more than just a running gag.
The latest round of Half-Life 3 rumors comes courtesy of Tyler McVicker, a longtime Valve insider known for deep dives into the company’s code and culture. According to McVicker, the project, now codenamed “HLX,” has reached a milestone that has long been the stuff of legend: it’s supposedly “playable from beginning to end.” Even more tantalizing, multiple dataminers have uncovered references to HLX buried in the update files for both Dota 2 and Valve’s upcoming MOBA, Deadlock.
It’s not just McVicker fanning the flames — concept artist Evgeniy Evstratiy recently claimed they were in the room where Half-Life 3 was being made, while another Valve watcher, Gabe Follower, says HL3 will finally deliver “the end of Gordon’s adventure,” teasing a proper conclusion to a story left hanging since 2007.
But let’s not race to City 17 just yet. Valve’s notorious secrecy — and its history of starting and shelving Half-Life sequels — means even credible leaks should be taken with caution. Notably, McVicker and others stress that Valve has not locked in a release plan, and all rumored timelines (including a summer reveal and winter launch) remain just that: rumor.
There are more concrete details, though. HLX reportedly began development around 2013-2014, long after the original, ill-fated Half-Life 2: Episode Three. While a 2020 leak suggested procedural level design would play a role, insiders clarify this doesn’t mean the game will become a roguelike or feature random terrain — think new replayability options, not drastic genre changes. Critically, HLX is said to ditch VR, standing apart from the acclaimed but niche Half-Life: Alyx.
For the half-life faithful, every glimmer of hope comes with a side of skepticism. Valve has made no official statement, and even the most reputable leakers have been burned by pivots or cancellations before. Still, the volume and consistency of these latest clues — especially references in live code from current Valve projects — are hard to ignore.
If HLX is real and truly in the final stages of polish, this winter could finally bring closure to one of gaming’s greatest cliffhangers. Or, at the very least, a new chapter in the saga of waiting for Half-Life 3.
Half-Life 3, rumored to be codenamed HLX, is reportedly in a playable state, with leaks from Valve insiders and dataminers lighting up the rumor mill. While nothing is confirmed, a possible reveal this summer and launch this winter could mean the end of the wait… or just another twist in the legendary saga.
Source: Valve via GamesPress