Valve is working on something Half-Life related behind-the-scenes with many assuming the long-awaited Half-Life 3 is quickly approaching. 

While Half-Life: Alyx directly addressed the next steps for the series, Valve dataminers have found extensive evidence towards a new game dubbed HLX within Steam updates. With the upcoming release of the Steam Machine, many have assumed that the game will be a launch title for the system. 

However, at the time of writing, almost everything surrounding the next Half-Life game, Half-Life 3 or otherwise, is largely hearsay and speculation, something that has recently come to a head with the publishing of a new report. 

A recent report by The Gamer claimed that the upcoming game “nears the finish line as developers are reportedly moving to other projects”. This report was based on claims from Valve leaker GabeFollower who said: “the current rumour is that HLX development has reached a point where it no longer requires all hands on deck, and those who have finished their work are starting to shift to other projects”. 

In a video on TikTok, former Valve developer and Half-Life writer Chet Faliszek mocked the claim that developers are leaving the alleged unfinished Half-Life project as it nears completion. As a developer who worked at Valve for decades, the developer sarcastically took issue with the claim as crunch time is one of the most infamous parts of creating the majority of video games. 

“They must be right because I cannot think of a time a product has shipped where, at the end of the project, it’s not just relaxation,” the former Valve developer said. “It’s hanging out by the lake, maybe going home early and hanging out with your family, relaxing, golf games, too bad it’s cold out so it’s not good golf season.”

Faliszek continued, saying: “There’s never crunch towards the end of a project. There’s never a rush, there’s never a scramble to try and fix all the bugs or get or the content in or playtest to make sure there’s nothing broken or missing. I have never heard of a game shipping where they scrambled and then had to release a Day Zero patch or even a Day One patch to fix any of the bugs because they’ve been done for months. They just sit on the game, they’re just relaxing!”

The developer joked that “crunch is a myth”, saying that “crunch is really when developers want to get away from their families and hang out and play pool”. Of course, in reality, crunch is an extremely commonplace way to end a project, especially something that will likely be a ground-breaking piece of software like a new Half-Life game. 

In response to a viewer who stated they “worked 100 hours a week for the last three months” of a project, Faliszek explained “that sadly is normal which is why this article is so funny”. While crunch has been an aspect of the games industry that many have tried to curb, it is undoubtedly a huge part of the industry, just read our interview with the team behind the System Shock Remake. 

Right now, there is evidence that Half-Life 3 is, or has been, in some form of development, but there is no concrete evidence that the game is near completion, as much as we really want to play the game right now.