Half-Life 3 has been at the top of the wish list for many gamers. However, it seems that Valve has not been idle during the years of waiting. According to an insider, the company has been secretly working on Half-Life 3 for years. Here’s what we know so far.
The gaming world has its own version of myths like Bigfoot or the Loch Ness Monster: Half-Life 3. Gamers have been waiting for years for the sequel to finally be revealed. But apart from a few vague details and supposed leaks, there has been little to see. Now, an insider claims to know more.
Half-Life 3 in Development for Years
An insider known as “Gabe Follower” reports in a video that Half-Life 3 has been in development for quite some time. Specifically, he claims that Valve has been working secretly on the sequel for several years. It all began with some revealing lines of code in an update for Dota 2, including mentions of “hlx” and “hlvr.”
The latter, as we now know, refers to Half-Life Alyx, the VR installment of the successful series that was released in 2020. The “hlx” reference appeared in other games as well, including Counter-Strike 2 and Deadlock. This has led to speculation that “hlx” might be an abbreviation for the game’s title: Half-Life Xen.
Xen is a dimension that connects several realms within the Half-Life universe. Many of the monsters that players encountered in previous installments originated from this dimension. The entire story of Half-Life 3 is said to revolve around this dimension and its inhabitants, although it remains unclear whether the game will take place solely in this alien realm.
Initially, Half-Life Xen was also supposed to be a VR game. However, during development, the team decided to turn it into a traditional first-person shooter. This decision was partly influenced by the fact that many of the Xen monsters were planned to appear in Half-Life Alyx, including Xen Zombie Gorillas, Xen Jellyfish, and Xen Rays. However, internal tests reportedly showed that these monsters were too frightening for VR, leading to their removal. This mistake is not expected to be repeated in Half-Life Xen.
Furthermore, leaks suggest that the game will feature a semi-open world with dynamic weather and a day-night cycle. The code also references “smart NPCs” that can interact with players. Gamers may even be able to manipulate gravity, with code indicating that NPCs will exhibit different behaviors depending on changes in gravity.
What the code and leaks do not reveal, however, is a possible release date for Half-Life 3 or Half-Life Xen. Even though the sequel has supposedly been in development for several years, we may have to wait even longer. The expectations for Half-Life 3 are now so high that Valve will need considerable time to meet them.