A new leak suggests Half-Life 3 (Half-Life X) is in its final development stages, featuring advanced AI, physics, and FSR 3 support.
For years, Half-Life 3 has been the biggest “will they, won’t they” story in gaming. Fans have been waiting for an official word from Valve, but instead, we’ve had to rely on leaks, rumors, and datamines. Over the past few months, there’s been growing evidence that something is happening behind the scenes. A cryptic teaser from Half-Life’s G-Man voice actor, Michael Shapiro, added even more fuel to the fire, hinting at a potential announcement in 2025.
Alongside that, previous reports suggested Valve was testing a new Half-Life project, supposedly called “HLX.” While details were scarce, insiders claimed the game was in development and even undergoing external playtesting.
But now, a new report from well-known dataminer and YouTuber Tyler McVicker suggests that Half-Life 3 (or Half-Life X) is much further along than we thought. If these leaks are accurate, it looks like Valve is deep into optimization, which usually happens toward the end of development.
New Leak Suggests Half-Life 3 is Nearing Completion
McVicker, who has a track record of uncovering Valve-related details, shared the latest findings in a new video. He datamined a recent Dota 2 update and found clear signs that HLX is still in development, despite fears it may have been shelved after Valve’s holiday break.
He explained that Valve has a history of dropping projects after long breaks, but this time, HLX survived. Not only that, but the game appears to be in its final optimization phase, suggesting it could be closer to completion than anyone expected.
One of the biggest discoveries in the datamine was the inclusion of FSR 3 support (AMD’s upscaling technology). McVicker pointed out that “you don’t use FSR until you’re nearly done with a game,” meaning Valve is likely polishing the project rather than still building core systems.
He also noted that the update contained AI optimization work, reducing computational power for NPCs based on their distance from the player—another telltale sign that Valve is working on final tweaks rather than early-stage development.
While story details are still unknown, McVicker broke down several gameplay elements based on the datamined information and rumors:
- Advanced NPC AI: Human characters in the game will have a mood-based system, reacting dynamically to sound, sight, and even smell. Their behavior changes based on what’s happening in the world around them.
- Physics System Upgrades: The fluid simulation, flammability mechanics, and destructibility have been greatly expanded from what we saw in Half-Life 2. Objects and materials react to fire and water in a more realistic way, and destructible environments will have dynamic AI pathfinding adjustments.
- Left 4 Dead-Style Replayability: While the game is not procedurally generated, certain elements will change every time you play. Health packs, enemies, and map blockages will randomly shift to keep things fresh, similar to Left 4 Dead’s AI Director.
- Vehicle Simulation: The game will feature land vehicles like cars and trucks, and possibly even water-based vehicles with detailed driving physics.
With all these advanced mechanics, McVicker argues that Valve is pushing for the next big step in real-time interactivity within a game world. He believes that, given how polished the systems are starting to look, an official announcement in 2025 is entirely possible.
Could We See a Half-Life 3 Reveal Soon?
Of course, it’s important to keep expectations in check. All of this information is based on datamines, leaks, and speculation, not an official statement from Valve. So, we suggest taking everything with a grain of salt. That said, the pieces are starting to come together.
Valve is clearly working on something Half-Life related, and if the datamines are correct, the game is far enough along that optimization and final polish are the focus. Add in the fact that Michael Shapiro’s recent teaser hinted at something happening in 2025, and it’s hard not to wonder if a big announcement is right around the corner.
What do you think? Will we finally see Half-Life 3 announced this year? Let us know in the comments!
