Recent reports suggest that Valve may be working on a new Half-Life game, and Tyler McVicker, a well-known Valve expert, has confirmed that he believes these reports to be accurate. According to McVicker, this upcoming game, codenamed “HLX,” is shaping up to be a fully-fledged, non-VR entry in the Half-Life series, which is exciting news for fans who have been waiting for a new installment.
The development of HLX is considered a significant update from Valve, as it marks a major shift from the VR-exclusive “Half-Life Alyx.”
In his latest video, McVicker states that the information he is about to share is based on actual data from Valve’s recent updates, rather than mere speculation.
He explains that HLX has been in the works since around the same time as “Half-Life Alyx,” with its development being shrouded in mystery until now. Initially, there was doubt about whether HLX was a fully-fledged game or just an engine feature or save file format, but McVicker’s research has clarified its status as a substantial new game.
McVicker elaborates on how Valve has been busy with multiple projects on their Source engine, such as “Citadel” (also known as Neon Prime or Deadlock). The mystery surrounding HLX persisted because of Valve’s diverse development efforts.
However, the revelation of the internal codename “Project White Sands” by a voice actor inadvertently shed light on the project. This new information helps to confirm the legitimacy of HLX as a significant entry in the Half-Life series.
Adding to the intrigue, McVicker notes that Valve often uses seemingly random codenames for its projects. Past examples include “Hot Dog” for Left 4 Dead VR and “Jamiroquai” for Half-Life Alyx.
The direct association of HLX with the Half-Life franchise through its codename is unusual but indicates that it may be a major release within the series. McVicker has gleaned additional details from data mining, such as references to new creatures and environments, suggesting that HLX may incorporate elements initially intended for Half-Life Alyx.
While McVicker is cautious in confirming whether HLX will be known as “Half-Life 3,” he strongly believes that it represents a new, non-VR Half-Life game.
The excitement around this potential development has been fueled by recent leaks and updates, and the actor’s website, which initially disclosed Project White Sands, has since removed the reference, adding further fuel to the speculation. Fans of the series are eagerly anticipating more concrete details as the development of this mysterious new title progresses.
