Hoping to get your grubby paws on Half-Life 2: Episode Three this year? Well, I hate the be the bearer of bad news, but reports around the Web claim the overdue installment won't arrive in 2010. In the February issue of Game Informer magazine, Valve supposedly states the much-anticipated episode won't be ready this year.

Given the lengthy development time (HL2: Episode Two came out in 2007), many are questioning whether the upcoming title will be HL2: Episode Three or flat out Half-Life 3. There is no mention of Portal 2, and apart from a casting call for voice actors in mid-2008, Valve has kept quiet on its progress – or lack thereof.

Last year, Valve's Gabe Newell said development of Episode Three was ongoing, but provided no additional details about when the world would see it. A followup statement from Valve is inevitable, and let's just hope this is one big misunderstanding.