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Release date

Half-Life 3 release date: Not announced

Valve has not announced Half-Life 3. On 22 October 2026 a Valve composer said "HLX", the rumoured codename, on stage. No date, platforms or price exist.

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On this page
  1. Release status
  2. Official signals
  3. Timeline
  4. What could still change
  5. How we check this date
  6. Questions
  7. Sources

Release status

Half-Life 3 (codename HLX) release status
DetailStatusSource
Release dateNot announced–
Announced?No. Valve has not announced a new Half-Life game or confirmed what HLX is.pcgamer.com
CodenameHLX, seen in Valve game files since early 2024 and said aloud by a Valve developer on 22 October 2026pcgamer.com
PlatformsNot announced. Rumours tie it to the Steam Machine, but Valve has said nothing.notebookcheck.net
Price (UK)Not announcedpcgamer.com
PEGINot rated (not announced)pcgamer.com

Half-Life 3 has not been announced. This page tracks what is known about HLX, the Valve project most people believe is the next Half-Life, and separates what Valve people have said from what dataminers have found in game files.

The latest signal is the strongest so far. On 22 October 2026, at a GameSoundCon talk on Valve's audio engine, composer Mike Morasky listed the games that use their own HDR audio set-up: "Deadlock has their own version of HDR. HLX has its own version." It is the first time someone at Valve has said the codename on stage. It tells us HLX is a real, active project with its own audio work. It doesn't tell us its name, platforms or date.

HLX first appeared in a Counter-Strike 2 update in early 2024, next to strings that resembled HLVR, the internal name of Half-Life Alyx. It turned up again in Deadlock files in February 2026. Valve's other live games, CS2 and Team Fortress 2, are where these finds keep coming from, so their updates are worth watching.

When Valve announces the game, this page will switch to a confirmed release date with UK prices and the PEGI rating from the store listings, like our GTA 6 release date tracker.

Official signals

Only the publisher, platform stores and ratings boards. Newest first.

Half-Life 3 (codename HLX): official signals
DateSourceWhat it saidLink
22 Oct 2026Mike Morasky, Valve composer, at GameSoundCon (reported by PC Gamer)In a talk on Valve's audio engine: "Deadlock has their own version of HDR. HLX has its own version, and so on and so forth." Valve has made no statement since.pcgamer.com
16 Jul 2026Christopher Green, retired Valve programmer, in an r/valve Q&A (reported by Destructoid)Asked about HLX, he replied "I think you know the answer to that :-)". He did not say what HLX is.destructoid.com
7 Feb 2026Deadlock update files (reported by TweakTown)A Deadlock update referenced an HLX project. Dataminer Gabe Follower posted that "HLX survived Valve's winter break". This is from game files, not a Valve statement.tweaktown.com

Timeline

  1. Valve composer Mike Morasky names HLX next to Deadlock in a GameSoundCon talk. The first time someone at Valve says the codename in public. Source

  2. A retired Valve programmer answers an HLX question with "I think you know the answer to that". Source

  3. Valve says Steam Machine and Steam Frame are "shipping this summer". No game is announced with them. Source

  4. HLX references turn up in a Deadlock update. Source

What could still change

  • Everything. Valve has not announced the game, so there is no date, platform list, price or rating to track yet.
  • HLX may not be called Half-Life 3. Outlets that covered the 22 October talk note the slip doesn't confirm the title, format or platforms.
  • Valve tends to reveal games shortly before release (Half-Life Alyx was announced in November 2019 and released in March 2020), so a reveal could come with a near date.

How we check this date

We check Valve's own channels and the main reports weekly, and the same day when a new signal appears. We only change the date when one of these official pages does. See our methodology for how we source figures.

Half-Life 3 questions

Is Half-Life 3 confirmed?

No. Valve has not announced Half-Life 3 or any new Half-Life game. What exists is a codename, HLX, in Valve's game files since early 2024, and a Valve composer saying "HLX" during a talk on 22 October 2026.

What is HLX?

HLX is a Valve project codename. It looks like HLVR, Valve's internal name for Half-Life Alyx, which is why most people read it as a new Half-Life. Valve has not said what it is.

What did the Valve developer say about HLX?

At GameSoundCon on 22 October 2026, composer Mike Morasky compared how Valve games handle HDR audio: "Deadlock has their own version of HDR. HLX has its own version, and so on and so forth." His co-panelist David Feise reacted on stage.

When is the Half-Life 3 release date?

There isn't one. Valve has not announced the game, so it has no release date or window. Dates in rumours and leaks are not from Valve.

Will Half-Life 3 launch with the Steam Machine?

Nobody outside Valve knows. Some insiders said it would be a Steam Machine launch title; Valve has not linked any game to the hardware.

Is Half-Life 3 a VR game?

Valve hasn't said. The HLX name follows HLVR, the internal name of Half-Life Alyx (a VR-only game). Dataminers describe HLX as a shooter but nothing official says whether it needs a headset.

About the author

Aashish Khakhar · Editor

Aashish edits GamesChart and checks every drop rate, price and player count against the publisher's own source before it goes live.

More about Aashish

Games and data

Sources

  1. PC Gamer – A Valve dev just said HLX out loud (22 October 2026), published by pcgamer.com
  2. GameDev.net – Everybody panic: A Valve developer said "HLX" in public (Ars Technica, 23 October 2026), published by gamedev.net
  3. Destructoid – Valve developer hint about HLX (16 July 2026), published by destructoid.com
  4. TweakTown – Deadlock update includes HLX mentions (7 February 2026), published by tweaktown.com
  5. Notebookcheck – Valve taunts Half-Life 3 leakers (June 2026, updated October 2026), published by notebookcheck.net
  6. VGC – Steam Machine and Steam Frame confirmed for summer 2026 (5 June 2026), published by videogameschronicle.com

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