Summary
Fans have been puzzling together the jigsaw pieces of datamined Valve code for years, cracking the ‘HLX’ enigma to reveal what appears to be Half-Life 3. Reputable leakers claim that it survivedthe Winter playtestsand that it’s now in the polishing phase, the furthest that any iteration of Half-Life 3 has gotten. They even seem privy to its story, warning that some fans might not enjoy the direction that Gordon Freeman’s next chapter takes.
Regardless, after nearly two decades, it looks like it’s finally happening: we’re getting a sequel. Just don’t expect Half-Life 4.
As reported byComicBook.com, insider and leakerDanielRPK claimed on his Patreonthat Valve wants to leave the series behind after Half-Life 3, and that it’s being designed as the “final chapter in the franchise”. It’s worth taking this claim with a grain of salt, given that DanielRPK isn’t as proven a leaker in gaming as he is with movies, nor is he known for reporting on Valve. That being said, there is some evidence to support his claim.
“The End Of Gordon’s Adventure”
Earlier this year, reputable Valve leaker Gabe Follower claimed thatHalf-Life 3 will “be the end of Gordon’s adventure”.
Alyx, the time-bending prequel-sequel, ended with a now resurrected Eli Vance handing Gordon his crowbar before embarking on a mission to rescue the titular heroine from the clutches of the ever-elusive G-Man. All while the Rebels race against the Combine to take possession of Aperture Science’s interdimensional ship, the Borealis, which is currently located in the Arctic. There are a lot of loose threads to tie up, but it sounds like we’ll be left witha concrete ending as opposed to another cliffhanger.
It would certainly make sense for Valve to retire the series along with its silent protagonist, backing up what DanielRPK suggested, but Gabe Follower left the door a little more open: “Maybe we will [see] some spin-offs in the Half-Life universe in the future, but the story arc of the main characters will end in the finale of the game.”
At any rate, Half-Life 3 isn’t even in our hands yet, and just a few years ago, the mere idea of Valve actually developing a sequel felt like an impossibility, never mind a hypothetical Half-Life 4. We’re closer than ever, and a game that ties up all the loose ends might be for the best, rather than risking another lengthy hiatus.
But Valve hasn’t even announced the game yet, so it’s not set in stone just yet. Then again,G-Man actor Mike Shapiro did teasesomethingfor this year.
