Half-Life 3 is Real? New details of the next installment of the cult franchise from Valve

A well-known data miner by the name of Gabe Follower has shared his research regarding the new Half-Life 3, which, according to him, has been in development for about three years. He released a video on his YouTube channel where he discusses the information he managed to gather based on the internal game code of other Valve projects.

Engine for Half-Life 3

One of the main reasons for the delay in creating the new Half-Life 3 was disagreements about which engine the next installment should use, as Source 2 was not yet ready for work on the sequel. Some suggested using engines like Unity or Unreal Engine, while others wanted to develop other projects and return to HL3 development when Source 2 was ready.

The developers opted for the latter approach, with the release of Half-Life: Alyx coming ten years after the Source 2 announcement, confirming this development strategy. The audience highly praised the new game, and the developers were pleased with the results and the potential offered by the new engine.

However, the tools still weren’t sufficient for creating Half-Life 3. Therefore, Valve continued to develop Source 2, eventually porting CS to the new engine and starting development on a new game, Deadlock, to gradually add and test various new tools.

Project HLX

In May 2021, a data miner found the first mentions of a mysterious project named HLX in a Dota 2 update code, mentioned alongside HLA (Half-Life: Alyx), indicating that the unknown project’s code was indeed related to this series.

Over the next three years, more intriguing lines of code referencing the familiar universe were found in Valve’s game codes. However, initially, Gabe Follower couldn’t be sure whether they referred to Half-Life 3 or another upcoming game that might be related to this universe.

Among Valve’s new games, the recently announced Deadlock emerged, but the description of many code details does not match what we see in the actual game. Therefore, the data miner is more than certain that these lines of code belong to HL3 or early concepts of what the game or a spin-off like HL: Alyx could have been.

Inside the Valve Team

In recent years, immediately after the release of Half-Life: Alyx, new development portfolios at Valve began to describe elements of work on an unannounced project with gameplay we have not yet seen. These descriptions include improved lighting, enhanced AI, new mechanics, an improved NPC combat system, puzzles, and more.

Considering the timeline of the work, one might assume it refers to Deadlock. However, since this game lacks puzzles and a complex NPC combat system, Deadlock again does not fit the description. Although, the author does not rule out the possibility that these elements could be part of an old multiplayer game concept.

Voice Actress

One of the voice actors for AAA games, Natasha Chandel, mentioned in her resume that she is working on a new game from Valve under the codename Project White Sands. This title could reference New Mexico, where Black Mesa is located.

HEV Suit and Gravity Gun

The Source 2 code also mentions Gordon Freeman’s suit and a health recovery system through special healing stations, similar to those used in the game Vertigo, whose developer helped create Half-Life: Alyx.

Additionally, part of the code is dedicated to the iconic gravity gun, which will play an even more significant role with improved mechanics for changing gravity modes for objects, which will be essential for solving numerous puzzles. The environment and NPCs will also react to these changes in combat.

Enemies

During the development of Half-Life: Alyx, Valve had to cut some enemy NPCs that might have been too terrifying for players in VR, so some of them may appear in the new Half-Life 3. The code examined by Gabe Follower also mentions familiar enemies but with enhanced capabilities.

Artificial Intelligence

The data miner suggests that part of the code is dedicated to advanced AI that significantly changes the behavior of many NPCs in the game. For example, Combine soldiers will be better at taking cover, using shields, signaling allies, taking sniper positions, laying mines, or disarming traps in certain areas.

Some lines indicate the multifaceted actions of NPCs, who can interact with certain objects, make decisions, and react to sounds and the environment. There is also mention of a large behavior and mood system for characters.

Facial Animation

According to Gabe Follower, Valve plans to bring Half-Life 3 closer to realism in many aspects, particularly through animation and facial expressions. To achieve this, the studio has incorporated Speech Graphics technology, which helps recreate precise facial expressions and movements corresponding to the words and emotions characters experience. An example of this approach can be seen in Hogwarts Legacy.

Game World and Environment

In the video, the author mentions various details that could relate to a semi-open or fully open world in Half-Life 3. Among the interesting points is a system of day and night cycles, weather changes, and different climatic conditions. This could particularly pertain to the Xen dimension, content from which was cut from the first Half-Life, a decision Gabe Newell regrets.

Among many lines of code, an updated driving system is also mentioned, allowing the player and NPCs to be both passengers and drivers and even attack from vehicles. There are also numerous technical parameters related to transportation, such as air resistance, adaptation to weather conditions, and more.

It seems that Valve is using Mesh Shading technology and a set of tools that allow for high-quality and realistic visuals without significantly compromising performance.

Conclusion

Despite Gabe Follower’s attempts to fully justify the information he presented in his video, he admits that some of his conclusions may be incorrect or outdated.

Nevertheless, all these details regarding Half-Life 3 or another project that could be related to it seem very interesting, quite realistic, and very much in the spirit of Valve. They will sooner or later surely announce a new installment of their iconic series.