Project HLX, believed to be Half-Life 3, is believed to be in the final phase of its development at Valve, based on a new data mine.
Content creators Gabe Follower and Tyler McVicker have both reported on a new data mine of new updates to Counter-Strike 2 and Deadlock that has uncovered compelling evidence regarding the previously leaked Valve project codenamed HLX, believed to be the long-rumored Half-Life 3. Counter Strike 2’s update syncs the game with the latest build of the Source 2 engine for the first time in nearly a year, revealing many shared engine components and references, several of which directly link to HLX.
Among the most intriguing findings are advanced entity optimization systems like “hlx_configurable_lightweight_body_entity” and “hlx_configurable_lightweight_body_collection”, which allow for efficient handling of physics objects in complex environments. These systems appear tailor-made for a single-player game with expansive levels, strongly suggesting that HLX is not another multiplayer shooter.
References to a revamped NPC collision system point to major upgrades in AI interactivity. Characters will reportedly react physically to the environment and player actions, similar to the dynamic systems seen in Rockstar Games’ GTA titles. This further hints at HLX being a heavily immersive, narrative-driven experience in line with prior entries in the Half-Life series.
Other features uncovered include surface materials with dynamic properties (burning, conducting electricity, absorbing sound), a wind and foliage simulation system, new volumetric fog and weather effects, and detailed damage modeling, and vehicle sections. A newly spotted “crawl” state even suggests characters might continue moving after getting injured. Furthermore, the updated description of the Tamper device, used against antlions in Half-Life 2, was tied to HLX. This, along with multiple mentions of antlions, open environments, and physics-based interactions indicate that project HLX is possibly a new Half-Life title.
Rumors accompanying the data mine suggest that HLX, or Half-Life 3, is now in the final stages of development. According to insider claims, parts of the project are already in the polishing phase, with developers rotating out of the main team, typically a sign that work on core systems is wrapping up. Valve has also begun refactoring developer tools and adding detailed documentation, often a late-stage task to support internal QA or external modders. Additionally, the rumors suggest that HLX may shift away from traditional hitscan gunplay in favor of physically correct projectile ballistics, akin to what we’ve already seen in Deadlock. This would mean bullets have travel time, are affected by gravity, and behave more realistically.
