August 26th 2024.
Is the highly-anticipated Half-Life 3 finally becoming a reality? As the month began, rumors about its existence began circulating once again, and now, several dataminers have discovered more evidence that suggests the game is, in fact, in development.
For almost 17 years, Half-Life 3 has been the answer to every gamer's dream announcement, but this month has seen a resurgence in the Half-Life rumor mill. With the release of Half-Life: Alyx in 2020, which was exclusively for PC VR, it became clear that the series is still alive and well at Valve. However, previous Half-Life 3 rumors have led to nothing, until recently when an actor's CV listed a mysterious project called "Project White Sands," providing the most compelling evidence yet that a third installment is in the works.
Notable insider and dataminer, Gabe Follower, who is known for his coverage of Valve, has now released a video that supports the previous claims of Half-Life 3's existence. In the 18-minute video, Gabe Follower reveals that Valve's upcoming shooter, Deadlock, has added more credibility to the previous rumors about Half-Life 3. This makes other project listings, like "Project White Sands," easier to connect to a potential Half-Life project.
In a tweet, Gabe Follower stated, "Half-Life 3 is real, and Valve is trying to hide the fact that we're going back to Xen." For those unfamiliar, Xen is the alien world from the end of Half-Life 1. In his video, Gabe Follower claims that gravity will play a much more significant role in the next Half-Life game, which has been codenamed HLX in datamined files. He also discovered references to Xen gorillas and other zombified creatures, a dynamic weather system, and a day and night cycle in files from other Valve titles.
According to Gabe Follower, Half-Life 3 is "real," and Valve is trying to keep it a secret. He also speculates that the next Half-Life game could be semi-open world with "huge and realistic locations," based on code related to new vehicle systems in HLX.
Gabe Follower believes that HLX is most likely a direct sequel to Half-Life: Alyx, although it is still unclear if it will be another VR title or not. Shortly after Gabe Follower's video, fellow Valve YouTuber, Tyler McVicker, posted a video suggesting that two Half-Life games could be in development. One is HLX, which he claims is not a VR title, and the other is a Half-Life game designed to showcase Valve's rumored new VR headset, codenamed Deckard.
Based on his findings, McVicker claims that the team behind Half-Life: Alyx is currently "deep in Half-Life development," although it is still unknown if he is referring to one or both of these projects. He also states that Valve's Deckard headset is still in production, and there is a game in development to showcase its features, similar to how Half-Life: Alyx showcased the features of the Valve Index.
It is essential to note that Valve has not officially announced any new Half-Life projects or a new VR headset, so it is best to take these rumors with a grain of salt. However, this is the most substantial evidence yet that something Half-Life related, possibly Half-Life 3, is in the works. These rumors have also added weight to the upcoming 20th anniversary of Half-Life 2 on November 16, 2024. While Valve is notoriously unpredictable, there is a chance they may do something to mark the occasion.
For now, Valve's focus is likely on their upcoming shooter, Deadlock, which they recently acknowledged on Steam after a series of leaks. There are also rumors of a new VR game in development. If you have any information or thoughts, feel free to email us or leave a comment. You can also follow us on Twitter and sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date on all the latest gaming news and releases.
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