Recent speculation suggests that Valve might be on the brink of developing Half-Life 3. This comes after a voice actress’s resume briefly mentioned a project called “Project White Sands” connected to Valve.
Fans quickly connected this name to a potential new Half-Life game, given that “White Sands” is a reference to a location in New Mexico, home to Black Mesa—the setting of the original Half-Life. This association has sparked considerable excitement among fans about the possibility of a new entry in the beloved series.
Tyler McVicker, a well-known Valve expert, has weighed in on the speculation with a video discussing why he believes “Project White Sands” could be a new Half-Life game. McVicker revealed that there was a single-player Half-Life game in pre-production alongside Half-Life: Alyx, which carried the codename HLX.
He suggests that Project White Sands might be the new name for HLX, signaling that Valve could indeed be working on the next major Half-Life title.
McVicker’s analysis includes details from Valve’s Source 2 engine and other games such as Dota 2 and Counter-Strike 2. His findings indicate that HLX involved a character wearing an HEV suit who ventures to different locations featuring entities like “xengorillas” and “pentatanks.”
He speculates that these elements might have been intended for Half-Life: Alyx but were eventually cut, hinting at their potential use in the rumored project.
Initially, McVicker was uncertain whether HLX was merely an engine feature or a file format for saves. However, with the recent revelation from the voice actress’s resume, he now believes that Project White Sands is indeed the internal codename for HLX. This new information aligns with his earlier theories and strengthens the possibility that Valve is working on a new Half-Life game.
In closing, McVicker expressed his belief that Project White Sands could very well be Half-Life 3. He noted that in 2021, he was skeptical about the development of Half-Life 3, given Valve’s focus on the Steam Deck. However, with recent developments and leaks, McVicker now thinks that the long-awaited sequel might finally be in the works.