Is Half-Life 3 Finally Coming? Rumors Swirl of Playable Build and Potential 2024 Announcement

For years, the gaming world has held its breath, whispering the impossible: Half-Life 3. Now, those rumors are roaring back to life, fueled by reports that the game is finally "playable end-to-end" and potentially slated for an announcement later this year. Could this be the moment Valve breaks its silence and delivers the sequel fans have craved since 2007's Half-Life 2: Episode Two?

The latest wave of speculation stems from Tyler McVicker, a known Valve insider, who dropped hints during a recent Q&A livestream. McVicker claims the information is surfacing now because the game is undergoing extensive playtesting, leading to leaks from those involved. "This is the furthest [HLX] has ever been. Period," McVicker stated, referring to the rumored codename for Half-Life 3. "The game is playable—end to end. Period. Other HL3 or Episode 3 projects never got that far. They’re optimizing, polishing. It’s probably content-locked, or at the very least mechanic-locked."

Adding fuel to the fire, internet sleuths have uncovered code referencing "HLX" in update files for Valve's upcoming game, Deadlock, suggesting active development on something Half-Life related. These claims align with previous speculation from last summer, including McVicker's own datamining efforts.

While details remain scarce, McVicker suggests that this iteration of Half-Life 3 is not to be confused with Half-Life 2: Episode Three, the sequel announced back in 2007 which was later cancelled. He also mentioned that procedural generation techniques are being used, focusing on changing "entity placement" (doors, physics, props, enemies, items, or NPCs) rather than completely redesigning levels. This hints at potentially dynamic and replayable gameplay experiences.

Interestingly, McVicker also hinted at the future of the Portal franchise. He stated that Erik Wolpaw, a key writer on the Portal series, is eager to work on Portal 3. Depending on who remains at Valve after the release of Half-Life 3, Portal 3 might become their next single-player project.

Of course, even with these tantalizing details, a healthy dose of skepticism is warranted. Valve has a history of long development cycles and cancelled projects. However, the sheer volume of rumors and insider information, coupled with the claim of a playable build, makes this resurgence of Half-Life 3 speculation particularly compelling.

If Half-Life 3 does finally see the light of day, it would be a monumental event for the gaming industry, marking the return of a beloved franchise after a long and painful wait. The last single-player installment was Half-Life 2: Episode Two dropped in 2007, prior to 2020’s VR-exclusive Half-Life: Alyx.

Are you ready to return to City 17? Do you believe the rumors? Share your thoughts and hopes for Half-Life 3 in the comments below!

• Half-Life 3
• PC Gaming
• Valve