‘Half Life 3’ Is Allegedly Being Playtested, and I Majorly Sympathize With Fans of the Franchise

Unfortunately, there was a time when I might’ve made fun of anyone who still believes Valve has been secretly working on Half Life 3. “Haha, look at those geeks. Everyone knows Valve can’t count to 3!” Now, I’m effectively a full-blown Hollow Knight Silksong conspiracy theorist trying to find a droplet of fresh water in a desert. Recently, however, YouTuber Gabe Follower posted a video attempting to prove that Half Life 3 is real. And, apparently, it’s at the end of its development cycle.

Fortunately, I know how the internet works. And, a wonderful Redditor (Stannis_Loyalist) compiled all the pertinent Half Life 3 information from the above video. You know, in case you don’t feel like watching the whole thing.

• Valve maybe preparing to tease elements of a new Half-Life game, as hlx is already in optimization and upscaling phase.
• A method to check the names of hidden groups in Valve’s internal system has been discovered, revealing groups named “hlx”, “hlxaudio”, and “hlxartists”.
• Recent findings include console commands related to optimization. Such as adjusting NPC behavior and AI load, which could indicate a game with complex NPC interactions.

i wish you ‘half life 3’ believers nothing but infinite luck

• New lines of code also mention features like dynamic navigation mesh, deformable props, and improved dynamic hair systems. Which could be related to the new Half-Life game.
• A zombie gorilla, hinted at in a dialogue in Half-Life Alyx, has appeared in the source 2 files with tentacle particles, and its purpose is still unclear.
• Valve’s play testing process involves multiple stages. Including early exploration, company-wide play tests, and testing among family members and close friends. With the goal of refining the game before release.
• The play testing cycle is not linear. Valve can jump between stages or restart the process at any time, with the ultimate goal of creating a polished game.
• Half-Life 3 is expected to be the final game in Gordon’s adventure, with a proper ending and no cliffhanger. Although spin-offs in the Half-Life universe may be possible in the future.

“Grain of salt,” “just rumors,” yadda-yadda-yadda. But, hey, perhaps it’s not the pipe dream everyone jokes about!