Last week, we informed you about some ideas that Valve had for Half-Life 3. And while this new information may have sparked – once again – the interest for a third episode of Half-Life 2, a Valve insider claimed that Half-Life 2: Episode Three is never going to happen, and that it’s dead.
This Valve insider is the same one who told GameInformer about the RTS and live-action adventure prototypes of Half-Life 2: Episode Three. As always, take everything you’re about to read with a grain of salt.
Valve’s insider told GameInformer that Valve never planned releasing Half-Life 3. It never got plans for Half-Life 3. All the prototypes that were developed were for Half-Life 2: Episode Three.
“There is no such thing as Half-Life 3. Valve has never announced a Half-Life 3.” told GameInformer Valve’s insider and continued:
“The closest they’ve come is after Half-Life 2, they said there would be three episodes. We only got two of those. That is arguably an unfulfilled promise. Anything else that we might think about as a full game or sequel has never been promised. I only mention that because it’s sometimes frustrating when people sort of assume or have wishful thinking about the future.”
When asked about whether Valve owes it to its fans to wrap up Half-Life 2, Valve’s insider said that there won’t, ever, be a third episode for Half-Life 2.
“I don’t think there will be any more. But at any given moment, they make decisions as they come. If some people within Valve make something that they collectively feel is exciting, then it will happen. That’s going to be hard for that to happen now. Every time a Half-Life project gets some gravity and then collapses, it becomes harder for the next one to start up. Because the business changes so much, and there are so many other things to do, it just gets harder and harder. It’s one of those things they’ll always have to accept. People are going to harass them for more Half-Life. The idea of delivering a third episode of Half-Life 2, that’s dead. There’s no universe where that will happen. I think there is a universe where a standalone thing could come together to fill in that hole, but that’s tough.”
Valve most probably won’t let any other third-party developers create this third episode of Half-Life 2. When asked about it, Valve’s insider said that such a scenario seems unlikely as it wouldn’t have the soul of what Half-Life 2: Episode Three should be.
But what about a future Half-Life project? Valve’s insider claimed that the best thing Valve could do is “give up on Half-Life 3, avoid it entirely, and do Half-Life experiences instead. Experiences that connect, but aren’t the flagship sequel.”
And that is that everyone!
John is the founder and Editor in Chief at DSOGaming. He is a PC gaming fan and highly supports the modding and indie communities. Before creating DSOGaming, John worked on numerous gaming websites. While he is a die-hard PC gamer, his gaming roots can be found on consoles. John loved – and still does – the 16-bit consoles, and considers SNES to be one of the best consoles. Still, the PC platform won him over consoles. That was mainly due to 3DFX and its iconic dedicated 3D accelerator graphics card, Voodoo 2. John has also written a higher degree thesis on the “The Evolution of PC graphics cards.”
Contact: Email
i think Gearbox’s plate is clean, lol.
Gotta make them cases and skins
Gabens troll army strikes again LOL!
I mean, who in their right mind would think Valve would give us such an ending in EP2 and then just walk away from it never to speak of it again? Oh sure, maybe a game developer like GSC or something, but this is Valve guys, VALVE!
Just give…..it…..more…..time!
Valve is on a halt in game development right now, they haven’t produced a real new game since 2011-2012, that’s 5 years guys. 5 YEARS! It’s just not the Half-life series. They are definitely up to something, we just don’t know what.
A lot more than we assume is taking place behind the curtains…
That’s my gut feeling too. I feel that when all is revealed it will be worth the painfully long silence.
It’s still a pretty big trolling that stopped being funny years ago. I mean, Ep 3 was supposed to release in december 2008 or something like that!
I guess valve had no idea where to take this series when its started their mistake was leaving it at a cliffhanger they should at least wrap up the human-combine war then do a similar ending to half life 1 then they could have chosen when to make a sequel but at least they owe to the fan to end the story that started with half life 2…
Well maybe in another life i guess 🙁
valve is a loser and a coward. they dont dare to release this at all TBH. they know they probably need to spend alot of money and perhaps not able to target the hearts of PC gamer. if this perhaps a console exclusive, i’m sure fat gabe double and triple dip on it.
I doubt money or dedication is the issue. But it would be impossible to reach the expectations from fans.
F*ck off Valve. It isn’t a lack of funds or talent that’s preventing you from concluding the series, it’s your lack of proper management and ability to sit back and collect Steam money (and skins from DOTA 2/CS:GO). Ending Episode 2 on such a cliffhanger and basically saying you’re never going to continue it may be one of the most d*ckish things any developer has ever done.
I have an old PC gamer mag from years ago somewhere before Half-Life 2 was released (or hacked) saying how they were also planning to start development of Half-Life 3 after the launch of Half-Life 2.
yeah yeah very reliable informations, from hypothetical Valve insider, with no name and surname and some informations about him.
just dont believe these rumors
Well, each passing year, those rumors are more believable than those that say there’s going to be a new HL.
So why making Source Engine 2 then? For a VR Demo, update Dota 2 and giving the licence for Titanfall developers only? Come on.
Portal 2 was a great example as how good they can do. Now thing as how good they can do if they release something in the universe of Half Life. They don’t even need the hype, just the name and that game will sell like cheeseburgers.
Valve is dead. Valve becomes Steam and Steam is a store to buy games… Half-Life 3 or EP-3 R.I.P. for ever https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/03d02af9ba89ef3b8cad83efee6a6d976c44b55ddb1ef387dde07fc6d42174b8.jpg
Feel the same bro. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/7f9358e8df48d1ead71f493c99cdb2b23350466358345c1636af474b8116c310.jpg
Second time they’ve put you on a time prison, how does it feel?
Damn man i really wanna end this story. But the real question is why thy make Source 2?!
Just make a good PC Fps with a crowbar !
I just hope the dumb “HL3 = confirmed” garbage will die. Most of the kids saying it don’t even know what it means and haven’t played any of the HL games.
your comment was three lines HL3 = confirmed
They don’t have to make any new game. They have DOTA 2 & CS GO. That 2 games alone gives them revenue like they just made a new AAA game every damn year without having to create a new game. Not to mention the insane revenue that they get from STEAM.
I remember when naughty dog offered valve to develop half-life 3 a couple of years ago…
Only if Sony is nowhere near them. I don’t want a PS exclusive.
I think no is expecting Half-Life 2: Episode 3. If it was going to happen it would have happened already. The next Half-Life is going to be Half-Life 3 and I have a feeling its most definitely coming out this year in November.
K.
What’s most depressing about this is i. the game literally ended on a cliffhanger which was designed to be followed up and ii. we’ve not really been given a convincing reason for why it isn’t happening. After all, it’s not like the game is some niche property, or that there’s no demand.
If anything the longer they wait the harder it will be to do a follow-up because for the first few months/years people would have been happy with a simple continuation of the episodes. But at this point expectations are for them to redefine the entire industry again to make up for the wait.
Steam money is all that matters to them now xD
if i was in charge of steam, money wouldn’t matter to me, i would have said i don’t like money, i want fanboys to be happy and it should be our top priority, that’s what a smart businessman do to be honest
Personally it sounds like Valve isn’t the best company for management lol
Valve is not a developer anymore,plain and simple.They are sitting on a tons of cash doing nothing but milking the steam platform.Why taking the risk and time to make another game when they dont need to do it ?They are a business after all and business is good so ….
Dooes it suck ? sure.I would like too see another l4d or half life but i dont think it will happen anytime soon.
Its both funny and sad when you see that even Gordon Freeman thumbed you up…:)
“Valve’s insider said that such a scenario seems unlikely as it wouldn’t
have the soul of what Half-Life 2: Episode Three should be.” You sure? because not even you seem to know what the sould of ep. 3 should be. Hell, recruit some indie dev (like the dudes of the Black Mesa project) and let them do it for you.
so this is (((fake news)))….. just like cnn/buzzfeed saying trump like pee…….. theres no proof/source/basis to g on with such a rumor/lie…….. your no better than kotaku now….. reporting fake hl3 “(((news)))”……
Hl3 is a fake game so it is appropriate.
It’s quite obvious that Valve is not going to use a 10 year old engine to make anutha episode.
“give up on Half-Life 3, avoid it entirely, and do Half-Life experiences instead. Experiences that connect, but aren’t the flagship sequel.”
lol what a dumb advice, maybe he works in another company? that’s what mods are for
Crowd fund the damn game Valve, If you are so worried about money!
Pretty sure you would get just as much money as Star Citizen, Probably even a lot more as everyone knows the Half Life series.
You could turn it into the best FPS game of all time, Maybe even make a bonus VR version if a certain amount was reached in funding.
How many would of you would put just $1 towards it instead of buying some stupid cs go skin or dota 2 upgrade?
I would fund $50 no problem as long as that gave me the cd key for the full game on release.
I have more trust in Valve than others to not run off with the money, seeing as they have a lot to lose with their Steam platform if they tried a dodgy on us.
DO IT valve, Make Half Life III with a new engine. Give us a new Crysis benchmark for this decade.
Good thing I only played Half Life 1 huh.
totally, otherwise, after playing HL2, Black Mesa and both episodes, you’d be gutted… I wish I had just stuck to HL1 tbh…
There’s at least one inaccuracy: Gabe Newell is on record saying that as far as he’s concerned the three HL2 episodes *are* Half-Life 3. So yes, Half-Life 3 was planned, and the first 2/3 of it have already been released.
So they are afraid of failure and don’t think they can compete at the current level. So lame, so boring so Gabe.