New Source 2 leaks hint at the often rumored Half-Life 3 being Valve Corporation’s most ambitious game to date.
According to content creator Gabe Follower, Half-Life 3, internally codenamed HLX, is very real and quietly progressing behind the scenes. After months of speculation, missed dates, and vanishing insiders, he argued that the most compelling evidence comes via Valve’s recent code updates to the Source 2 engine. He disagreed with some rumors claiming that the game is being held back to launch alongside the Steam Machine, as historical precedent, including Half-Life: Alyx missing the Valve Index launch window, indicates that Valve releases games only when they are ready.
While HLX references are intentionally excluded from shared engine branches, human error has allowed some strings to slip through. These point to major game systems, such as advanced dynamic physics, gravity zones that pull in multiple directions, and environments where floors, walls, and ceilings lose their traditional meaning. NPCs are now capable of navigating these altered spaces, potentially chasing players across rotating or curved surfaces in a world like Xen.
Weapon behavior is also evolving. Leaks suggest true projectile ballistics rather than hitscan combat, allowing bullets and rockets to react dynamically to gravity shifts. Combined with smart surfaces that simulate heat, fire, electricity, liquids, and deformation, Half-Life 3 appears to be building a thoroughly physics-based gameplay experience governed by game systems.
As for NPCs, new mood systems, facial animation tools, volumetric awareness, and memory-based reactions aim to create more lifelike behavior. Damage modeling has allegedly shifted from simple health bars to segmented bodies with weak points, armor, and behavior changes based on injuries. Vehicles, weather, wind, water, foliage, and even hair simulation are all being integrated into unified physics-based interactions.
Gabe Follower also highlighted the mystery surrounding the republishing of Raising the Bar, the book about the development of Half-Life 2. Valve announced a re-release for 2025 that would include never-before-seen material related to Episode 3. The updated book didn’t end up getting released last year, and the content creator suggested that the delay may be intentional, as it likely contains details that would spoil mechanics or story elements of Half-Life 3.
