Valve’s “HLX” codename was accidentally revealed during a panel, prompting an apparently sarcastic reaction from fellow panelist and Valve sound designer David Feise. The slip has fueled speculation that the company is continuing work on a new Half-Life project, although Valve has not announced when it might be revealed.
When will Valve announce HLX?
Official references to HLX are encouraging for those hoping the series will continue into the 2020s and beyond. However, the central question remains: when will Valve officially announce its next Half-Life project?
In the panel video, Feise can be seen sarcastically muttering “Nice job” to the speaker after the HLX codename escapes his lips. Later, as the audience applauds at the end of the question-and-answer session, Feise leans toward the speaker and appears to say, “Good job, HLX only said it once!”
Valve watchers remain cautious about new rumors. Less than a year ago, journalist Mike Straw declared that Half-Life 3 would be a launch title for Steam Machine. The Steam Machine launch has since passed without an announcement.
Tyler McVicker, a longtime Valve watcher, has said that Half-Life 3 is in the “final stage of development” and suggested that an announcement in 2026 is “likely.” He made that suggestion in a post. In recent videos, he said he does not currently believe HLX will be announced this year. He also pointed to a recent increase in coding activity at Valve, as measured by externally visible internal “commit” numbers, as a possible sign that something significant could happen sooner rather than later.
One thing is certain: even if Half-Life 3 is eventually announced and released, it would have to be truly extraordinary to compensate for the years-long speculation surrounding the game’s existence.
Source: arstechnica.com