It has been twenty years since we final checked in on Gordon Freeman in Half-Life 2: Episode Two, with the promise of a 3rd Half-Life recreation languishing for an absurdly very long time. Within the intervening years, Valve has neither confirmed nor denied a 3rd mainline Half-Life recreation, although the secretive studio is rumored to have canceled a minimum of one try and make Half-Life 3. Surprisingly, there’s recent proof of a brand new Half-Life recreation straight from Valve, although the individual revealing that info seemingly did not intend to.
The newest morsel in regards to the long-rumored existence of Half-Life 3 comes after years of leaks a few recreation codenamed “HLX.” One Valve worker simply casually dropped the identify HLX throughout a gaming conference this week, restarting the rumor mill.
HLX = Half-Life 3 (possibly)
At this week’s GameSoundCon, a recreation music and sound design convention in Burbank, California, Valve composer Mike Morasky appeared on a panel with sound designers David Feise and Carlye Nyte. Their speak, titled “Valve’s Strategy to an Open and Versatile Audio Engine,” was meant to debate Valve’s Supply 2 audio engine and extensible open techniques. What most individuals will take away from that speak is that Morasky let slip Half-Life 3‘s supposed codename HLX in a public discussion board, seemingly to the chagrin of certainly one of his panelists.
As noticed by a member of the Gaming Leaks and Rumours subreddit, late into the panel (which is offered on Vimeo), Morasky says, “I feel Impasse has their very own model of HDR. , HLX has its personal model, so on and so forth.” Feise then seems to whisper to Morasky, “Good work.” Because the panel involves an finish, Feise leans in and says to Morasky what feels like, “Good job. You solely mentioned ‘HLX’ as soon as.” To which Morasky responds with what feels like, “I did?”
Half-Life followers imagine they’ve heard Morasky make this identical flub earlier than. In a submit on the Half-Life subreddit final 12 months, Redditors posted video interviews of Morasky saying “HLX,” referring to a Valve mission, earlier than rapidly correcting himself. In one other occasion, Morasky supposedly mentions engaged on two Half-Life video games for Valve, when he is solely formally credited with engaged on Half-Life: Alyx, the 2020 digital actuality prequel to Half-Life 2.
HLX is the supposed codename for Half-Life 3, or a minimum of a direct follow-up to the occasions of Half-Life 2: Episode Two. The codename’s existence was uncovered by dataminers who had pored over updates to the Supply 2 engine after Half-Life: Alyx‘s launch. HLX is rumored to be a non-VR recreation set within the Half-Life universe. Supporting the rumors of HLX/Half-Life 3‘s existence is a report from longtime Valve reporter Tyler McVicker, who mentioned in 2025 that the sport is not simply in growth, however “playable from finish to finish.”
There is not any indication that Valve plans to announce Half-Life 3 anytime quickly, however followers of the first-person shooter franchise have gotten used to ready. They will definitely tolerate ready a bit longer.