All Half-Life 3 Rumors and Leaks So Far

Half-Life just celebrated its 27th anniversary, as the first-person shooter hit the scene back in 1998. The title was Valve’s very first game, and it would go on to be one of the most influential titles in the FPS genre. After the success of Half-Life, a sequel eventually arrived in 2004, and ever since, fans have been awaiting a third chapter. Half-Life 3 continues to be highly-anticipated, and while some fans have remained hopeful, others see it as merely a pipe dream. However, that might be changing soon.

Rumors about Half-Life 3 have kicked up again, and while speculation and theories about the game have persisted for years, this time feels a little bit different, at least for some. After Valve let Half-Life 3‘s domain name expire earlier this year, many were convinced the game was purely wishful thinking, but evidence may be pointing to an announcement, with some even thinking it will be before the end of the year.

Half-Life 3 Rumors Over the Years

Half-Life 3 was once in development, but it was canceled early on in its production around 2015. After this abrupt end, it was believed that Half-Life 3 would no longer be a possibility, but hope sprung up again in 2019 with the announcement of Half-Life: Alyx. This VR spin-off would eventually launch in 2020, and it immediately reignited hope in the Half-Life community, as it showed Valve was still very much interested in continuing the franchise.

Since 2020, murmurings and whispers of Half-Life 3 continued to hit the internet, but as each prediction popped up, time would pass without any word from Valve. Between supposed leaked Half-Life 3 concept art to footage of a canceled Half-Life 2 chapter, fans have searched the internet over the years trying to find any new signs of life for the Half-Life franchise. Also, since the release of Half-Life: Alyx, dataminers have been studying a mysterious project named “HLX” that has continued to pop up in Source 2 engine changes whenever Counter-Strike 2 and DOTA 2 are updated.

Why Half-Life 3 Rumors Started Up in 2025

The rumors about Half-Life 3 started back up right at the beginning of the year when G-Man actor Mike Shapiro teased “unexpected surprises” on Twitter. This tweet was simply a small snowflake that would snowball into months and months of speculation and rumors, but as the year has continued, these theories may actually be onto something.

The Steam Machine is Announced on November 12

• Valve’s new Steam Machine has made waves this month.
• This PC/console hybrid is expected to make PC gaming more accessible for console users.
• A release date and price have still yet to be revealed.

The Steam Machine has been one of the biggest surprises of the year, and the announcement of the console-sized PC has once again reignited theories about Half-Life 3. One of the main reasons fans have suggested that Half-Life 3 is on the way is because Half-Life: Alyx launched alongside the Valve Index VR headset. For a reveal as big as the Steam Machine, it would only make sense for Valve to launch one of its most wished-for projects at the same time as a brand-new gaming product. The Steam Machine isn’t the only reason why fans are convinced of an announcement, though.

The 2025 Game Awards Are Right Around the Corner

With Valve announcing the Steam Machine almost exactly one month before this year’s Game Awards, many are eyeing the end-of-year gaming celebration as a stage for a Half-Life 3 reveal. It’s more likely that Valve will reveal the price and release date of the Steam Machine, but it’s definitely not impossible that the company will also offer a one-two punch at the awards show and make the game announcement that fans have been waiting years for. The hype surrounding Half-Life 3 is similar to the excitement about yet-to-be-released games like GTA 6 and The Elder Scrolls 6, so Valve finally making an announcement before the year is up would definitely be reason for many gamers to celebrate. Now that Half-Life‘s anniversary date of November 19 has come and gone without any news, The Game Awards would be the next obvious choice.

How True Are the Half-Life 3 Rumors and Leaks?

Unfortunately, there is no way to know for sure, and only time will tell if this year’s wave of Half-Life 3 rumors are accurate or not. Many of the rumors this year have come from dataminers GabeFollower and Tyler McVicker. While it’s important to note that these two individuals are from official Valve spokespeople, they also have a track record of being correct about predictions in the past. For example, GabeFollower correctly predicted Valve’s in-development battle arena project Deadlock. When it comes to McVicker, the dataminer was right about Half-Life: Alyx before the game was officially announced. However, even though these two have been right in the past, it doesn’t mean they are right again, so their statements about a Half-Life 3 reveal being imminent should be taken with a heavy grain of salt.

As much as gamers want Half-Life 3 to be a reality, the only thing one can do at the moment is sit and wait around to see what happens. The Half-Life franchise completely transformed the FPS genre, as it demonstrated that the formula is actually a great platform to build thought-provoking stories on, and many are eager to see where a third chapter would go. If Valve were to actually make Half-Life 3 a reality at The Game Awards, it would be one of the biggest stories of the year. That’s saying a lot, too, considering just how packed with surprises 2025 has been for the industry. There are only a few weeks away until The Game Awards airs, and Half-Life fans tuning in will hopefully get what they’ve been wanting for years.