Half-Life 3 Could Be Imminent, According To Leaker

In the last two months of 2025, rumours abounded that Valve was finally gearing up to announce Half-Life 3, but then November arrived, and then The Game Awards — which was a pipe dream anyway — and then the holidays. Nothing. Fears mounted that maybe it had been cancelled, though insiders claimed it had been delayed alongside the Steam Machine due to RAM shortages and price hikes (thank you, AI), while Dota 2 updates revealed that development was still chugging along.

Now, according to reputable insider and leaker Gabe Follower, it looks like Valve is finally approaching the finishing line at long last. “HLX development has reached a point where it no longer requires all hands on deck,” he explained in a new YouTube video, breaking down some of the most recent discoveries — such as realistic weapon ballistics, NPC mood systems, crowd optimisation, dynamic gravity effects, and more.

Valve reporter and leaker Tyler McVicker likewise claimed last year that a 2026 announcement “is likely”, so after a year of polishing and optimisation — having survived the Winter playtests in 2024 — we could see Half-Life 3 announced in the coming months. However, that’s pure speculation, so take it with a grain of salt. Nonetheless, according to Gabe Follower, work has progressed to such a point that developers are now moving to other projects.

“One of these projects is an unknown game that I’ll probably discuss at some point in the future,” he teased.

Worries About Half-Life 3 Being Delayed Due To The Steam Machine Have “Little To Do With Reality”

One of the key concerns right now is that the Steam Machine will be delayed as Valve attempts to ride out the current RAM shortage, as manufacturers are now selling directly to AI data centers instead of consumers, significantly inflating the prices. Given that Half-Life 3 is believed to be a Steam Machine launch title (not Frame, as Valve has no VR games in development), the worry is that it will also be delayed.

However, Gabe Follower argues that this line of thought “has little to do with reality”, noting that Half-Life: Alyx was intended to be an Index launch title, but was delayed separately. “In my view, hardware delays are not correlated with game delays,” he said. “Teams at Valve work almost independently, and any former or current employee will tell you that synchronizing the plans of two teams is extremely difficult due to the company’s extremely specific workflow.”

So, it’s possible that we’ll see the inverse this time — Half-Life 3 launching before the Steam Machine. Time will tell, but if Gabe Follower’s report is to be believed, which datamining supports, then HLX is finally nearing the end of development. After almost 20 years, we might be about to follow up on that cliffhanger.

Systems

Released

November 19, 1998

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language

Publisher(s)

Sierra Studios

Engine

goldsrc, source

Multiplayer

Local Multiplayer

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