In a nutshell: The long-awaited third installment in the iconic Half-Life series is reportedly nearing completion and fans might not have to wait too much longer to get their hands on it. According to Insider Gaming Weekly podcast co-host Mike Straw, the title is scheduled to arrive in spring 2026 as a Steam Machine launch title.
Straw said the same launch window also applies to the Steam Machine console itself as well as the Steam Controller 2 and the Steam Frame VR headset. His biggest takeaway, however, is that the game is in fact real.
Valve launched Half-Life 2 way back in 2004, with many considering it among the greatest games ever made. Fans patiently waited for a sequel but as the years passed, it became evident that we might not ever get an official third entry.
The narrative started to shift as of late, with rumors surfacing earlier this year that the game was indeed happening and was already playable end-to-end. Code snippets found in other Valve games like Counter-Strike 2 and DOTA 2 reference a project codenamed "HLX" complete with ray tracing, level alteration, and AMD FSR, which some believe to be Half-Life 3.
Now would be the perfect time for Valve to launch a sequel to Half-Life 2. Just last month, the Bellevue-based game maker introduced a console-style PC for the living room. As mentioned, the machine and a handful of accessories are slated to arrive early next year. Launching one of the most anticipated game sequels ever alongside the new hardware certainly wouldn't be a bad look.
Valve hasn't yet announced pricing for the Steam Machine, and the uncertainty involving the ongoing global memory shortage could further delay that information. Some had hoped to hear about the game in an official capacity during The Game Awards last week, but Valve was mum on the matter.
What are your thoughts on Half-Life 3? Are you hyped to finally play it, or are the expectations simply too unrealistic after more than two decades of waiting?