‘Half-Life 3’: Release Date, Development Status, Leaks and Rumors

It’s been so long since the launch of . The working title doesn’t correspond to any known Valve project, and fans were quick to note that White Sands is the name of a park in New Mexico, the same state as Half-Life’s setting of Black Mesa.

Not long after, YouTuber Tyler McVicker, who’s dug up information on Valve projects before, combed through the files for Valve’s Source 2 engine after finding a project codenamed HLX. McVicker contends that HLX is a new Half-Life that’s not made for VR, and that it contains some pretty advanced systems for fire and destructible environments, which could represent the kind of technological leap Valve may be aiming for in Half-Life 3.

On New Year’s Eve 2024, voice actor Mike Shapiro added fuel to the Half-Life 3 rumor fire. Shapiro posted a cryptic video on social media hinting at “unexpected surprises” coming soon, delivered in the voice of G-Man, the character he plays in the Half-Life series. The video ends with Shapiro saying “See you in the new year.” The post also carries hashtags for Half-Life and 2025. The post is similar to the last thing Shapiro shared on his account in 2020 before the release of Half-Life: Alyx.