For years, Half-Life fans have speculated, theorized, and occasionally nearly lost their minds over rumors of a third game. But when it comes to revisiting City 17, one key architect of the original saga is firmly out: Marc Laidlaw, the narrative mind behind Half-Life’s iconic story, says he would “definitely” refuse any invitation to return for Half-Life 3. In a candid new interview, Laidlaw reflects on creative limits and why it’s time for others to carry the series torch-even as the mystery of Half-Life 3 continues to fuel the industry’s imagination.
Laidlaw’s position is unambiguous, and his words land with the same gravity as a crowbar clanging on concrete: “I can definitely say I would not do that,” he tells IGN. Aside from a brief reappearance in 2023’s Half-Life 2 20th-anniversary documentary, Laidlaw has kept his distance from Valve and the legendary series he helped define.
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Valve |
| Release Date | TBA |
| Genres | FPS, Sci-Fi, Adventure |
| Platforms | PC (expected, unconfirmed) |
Laidlaw’s creative exhaustion with Half-Life—and first-person shooters in general—is well documented. Since leaving Valve in 2016, he hasn’t even played Half-Life: Alyx, despite its critical acclaim and deep ties to his earlier work. His cameo in the Half-Life 2 documentary, he explains, was more about closure than nostalgia: “It was good for me to just kind of process and put a bow on that stuff, see a bunch of old friends, think about that, the whole thing.”
But is there a world where the G-Man’s enigmatic story pulls Laidlaw back? He’s unequivocal: “We didn’t need me going, ‘Well, the G-Man wouldn’t do that in my day.’” For Laidlaw, becoming the gatekeeper of past canon was stifling newer voices on the team. “At some point you need to let the people who are the fans and creators who’ve come in… let them have that. We need new stuff.”
Despite his distance from Valve, Laidlaw hasn’t ruled out game writing altogether. He notes his frustration with some of Death Stranding’s story, even saying he would have enjoyed collaborating with Hideo Kojima in a script-polishing role. Still, “the Half-Life part of my life is way behind me,” he insists.
Meanwhile, the legend of Half-Life 3 lives on. From persistent rumors of secret rooms at Valve to cryptic ‘HLX’ code found in game updates, the community’s hunt for clues is as relentless as ever. But with Laidlaw stepping away, the next chapter—if it ever comes—will inevitably be written by a new generation.
As the wait for concrete news lingers, maybe it’s time to embrace Laidlaw’s advice: let fresh voices surprise us. After all, the best stories often come from unexpected places.
TL;DR: Half-Life writer Marc Laidlaw has firmly ruled out any involvement in Half-Life 3, citing creative fatigue and a desire for new voices to take charge. While rumors around the elusive sequel persist, Valve has offered no official word, and Laidlaw’s chapter with the series is definitively closed.
Source: Valve via GamesPress