A new Half-Life 3 leak hints at linear gameplay, voxel-based destruction, advanced AI, and Steam Deck 2 compatibility.
Half-Life fans have been waiting for years for the next major chapter in Valve’s legendary franchise. While Half-Life 2 continues to stand as one of the most influential games of all time, Valve recently celebrated its 20th anniversary in style.
The celebration included a special two-hour documentary talking about the development of Half-Life 2, offering a behind-the-scenes look at how the revolutionary game was made. To top it off, Valve even made Half-Life 2 free to claim on Steam for a limited time.
Now, some new details have been shared about the long-rumored Half-Life 3, which could be Valve’s most ambitious project yet. Dubbed Half-Life X, the rumored game is claimed to be under active development at Valve, with several innovative features reportedly being worked on.
Half-Life 3 Leaked Details
According to a video posted by a well-known content creator, Tyler McVicker, Half-Life 3 or Half-Life X will emphasize gameplay innovation over graphical leaps. One of the most exciting features involves Valve’s voxel-based destruction engine, borrowing technology from Valve’s canceled project “Arty,” the game is likely to include advanced destruction mechanics
Half-Life 3 will also reportedly feature linear level design with expansive areas, akin to Uncharted 4, focusing on storytelling and immersion rather than a fully open-world experience.
AI improvements are another highlight, with claims of advanced behaviors like standoff mechanics and more realistic movement animations, making NPC interactions more dynamic. Additionally, the game is said to utilize “shared environments” to create seamless level transitions without the need for traditional loading screens.
“I don’t think Half-Life 3 is an immersive sim at its core, but think it will have more game sim elements than seem prior, McVicker said in the video. “We do know that, that quest NPC system and procedural generation in certain side-level design is very much happening.
“And although some people misunderstood those factors to then guess that it was an open-world game–not the game–it’s open-linear, more akin to Uncharted 4, and not at all like Fallout.”
Finally, there’s speculation that Half-Life 3 is being developed with the Steam Deck in mind, ensuring compatibility with the current system and possibly its rumored Steam Deck 2.
These details come from a speculative leak and datamined information and should be taken with a grain of salt. Whether or not Half-Life 3—or Half-Life X—sees the light of day, Valve fans can’t help but hope this marks the return of one of gaming’s greatest franchises.
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