Evidence suggesting the existence of Half-Life 3 continues to mount, with fans claiming to have found indicators of the game’s presence in Steam’s backend code. Recently, numerous hints have arisen that could point towards this much-anticipated sequel. However, after experiencing countless letdowns over the last two decades, we recommend approaching this information with a healthy degree of skepticism.
A user on the Valve subreddit, u/Relevant_Basis5444, noted that Valve lists two games under Upcoming Releases, yet only Deadlock is currently visible. This observation sparked discussions among users, leading many to confirm the listing, while some indicated that archives show only one upcoming title as of December 29. It’s worth mentioning that this could potentially be a glitch.
Other forum members speculated that the unannounced game might be In the Valley of the Gods by Campo Santo, the studio behind Firewatch, but it has a separate Steam page that doesn’t tie back to Valve.
The prevailing theory among fans is still the possibility of Half-Life 3, but this time the excitement may be justified. Earlier this year, Mike Shapiro, the voice actor for G-Man in Half-Life 2, posted a cryptic message hinting at an unexpected surprise. In November 2023, Valve addressed the fate of the awaited Half-Life 2: Episode 3, and prior to that, data miners discovered snippets of code that seem connected to a new, yet-to-be-revealed title.
Another voice actor, Natasha Chandel, made a reference to “Project White Sands,” a codename that fans connected to Black Mesa, the setting of the Half-Life series. Although that mention has since been removed from her credentials, fans cite it as additional evidence that something is brewing behind the scenes.
Half-Life 2 marked its 20th anniversary last year, and this year sees the fifth anniversary of Half-Life: Alyx. With anticipation and discussions intensifying, it indeed seems like an opportune moment for another release from Valve.
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