{
  "id": 16111384,
  "title": "Half-Life 3 Rumors Reignite After Valve Employee Lets Codename Slip",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/22/half-life-3-rumors-reignite-after-valve-employee-lets-codename-slip",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-10-22T21:16:28.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Polygon",
    "slug": "polygon",
    "url": "https://www.polygon.com/valve-half-life-3-hlx/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "After two decades without a new installment, rumors of Half-Life 3 resurfaced after a Valve employee accidentally revealed the game's codename, HLX, during a gaming convention. Valve has neither confirmed nor denied the existence of a third mainline Half-Life game, but a leaked codename has reignited speculation. The announcement was made at GameSoundCon, a gaming music and sound design conference in Burbank, California. The employee, Mike Morasky, was speaking on a panel discussing Valve's Source 2 audio engine when he mentioned HLX, allegedly in an offhand manner. The revelation sparked renewed interest in the long-discussed game, which is rumored to be a non-VR title set in the Half-Life universe. A report from a longtime Valve reporter suggested that the game is not just in development but is playable from start to finish. Despite no official announcement, the Half-Life fanbase has come to accept the long delays and remains hopeful for the next installment.",
  "summary": "A Valve employee just casually mentioned Half-Life 3's rumored codename HLX in public, reigniting rumors that the shooter is returning.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}