HL2: Aftermath coming in April

Valve dates the expansion pack for its PC blockbuster; all-inclusive Platinum Edition to launch simultaneously.

Nearly a year and a half after Half-Life 2 was released, the blockbuster PC shooter will finally get its first expansion pack. Today, Doug Lombardi, Valve Software's director of marketing, confirmed to GameSpot that the developer is now shooting for an April 24 release for Half-Life 2: Aftermath. Previously, the PC expansion pack was set for a November 2005 "launch window," which it obviously missed.

To date, Valve has been largely mum about the details of Aftermath. However, when speaking to GameSpot last June, designer/programmer Robin Walker said that the expansion will focus on major characters who got short shrift in the original Half-Life 2 and include the high dynamic range lighting effects featured in the free Half-Life 2: Lost Coast bonus level.

Half-Life 2: Aftermath will retail for $19.99 and be available via Steam's download service or a boxed version distributed by Electronic Arts. EA will also distribute the boxed versions of a new Half-Life 2: Platinum Edition, which will include Half-Life 2, Half-Life 2 Deathmatch, Half-Life 2: Aftermath, Counter-Strike: Source, and Day of Defeat: Source in a single package. Pricing for the Platinum Edition was not available as of press time.

58 Comments

  • mohorovicic

    Posted Feb 22, 2006 9:00 am PT

    April 24! How lucky is it that one of my favorite games comes out on the exact date of my birthday?!?! Happy Birthday to me!

  • TimberWolf_CLT

    Posted Jan 11, 2006 6:26 am PT

    Notice how no year is specified?

  • Chaps0830

    Posted Jan 10, 2006 9:25 pm PT

    HL2 is far and away the best game ever made. Period. Play it once or twenty times and it still blows you away!

  • vgmkyle

    Posted Jan 10, 2006 3:50 pm PT

    Im looking forward to Aftermath.Hopefully they dont change the stuff that made the game so cool and fun in the first place.

  • gdogg4210

    Posted Jan 10, 2006 2:44 pm PT

    Ill believe it when i seet it

  • ufopuller

    Posted Jan 10, 2006 2:04 pm PT

    More of my fave game =

  • ChiefFreeman

    Posted Jan 10, 2006 12:44 pm PT

    I just hope it has something that the original didn't. Something different, whether it be story related or action. I don't want just more Half Life 2.

  • FlashFirer

    Posted Jan 10, 2006 11:41 am PT

    Sweet! I won't be waiting too long then. Well, since I can't run the game on my PC, I can only look forward for "the revelations" in it. I read the script for HLČ as well...

  • Gothichell

    Posted Jan 10, 2006 10:37 am PT

    I bet it will be delayed again.

  • nohabs

    Posted Jan 10, 2006 9:55 am PT

    I hope there is something "new" about it. Adding same-old expansion packs might just kill this great game

  • vejkis

    Posted Jan 10, 2006 9:19 am PT

    Am I the only one who isn't finished with HL2 ? I have a perfectly good reason, I have a fully functional life without games, not because I'm "noob" or something.

  • thornpaw

    Posted Jan 10, 2006 9:13 am PT

    I wish they would hurry up and get this out. I hate waiting for things.

  • Viquist

    Posted Jan 10, 2006 9:07 am PT

    Never played it but it's good news for those who have. I have a co-worker that loves it

  • necrogodomega

    Posted Jan 10, 2006 7:05 am PT

    The PC version of HL2 is much better than the Xbox version. Less load times, and smoother gameplay. And I'm sure the 360 will get a HL version as well, but how many years did it take them to make it for Xbox?

  • nirbheek

    Posted Jan 10, 2006 6:58 am PT

    OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! APRIL!!!!!!! woah! this is gonna be fun!!!!

  • jaywraw

    Posted Jan 10, 2006 6:51 am PT

    Great, now I have to upgrade my system.

  • ten_speed

    Posted Jan 10, 2006 4:37 am PT

    I only have HL2 on my X-box. Is it worth it to get the PC version too?

  • BrandonOEC

    Posted Jan 10, 2006 4:26 am PT

    I can't wait for this! April is just full of great games and updates hopefully.... Zelda! God I can't wait for that either!

  • Sabooya

    Posted Jan 10, 2006 3:37 am PT

    FINNALY!
    My bet is they miss their ship date again. Valve isnt knows for their dependancy. But I am looking forward to this game, bad sad to know how short its going to be. After all the time HL2 has been out I thought they would have made a much longer game. Maybe, the put extra work into it?
    Does anyone know if HL2 Aftermath will improve HL2's game at all? That be cool, if tehy re did parts of HL2 and gave it a visual upgrade.
    Kant wait! Im preording mine!

  • automaticsnake

    Posted Jan 10, 2006 3:32 am PT

    If HL2 Aftermath will be as good as the little Lost Coast demo im getting it!

  • nemes1s3000

    Posted Jan 10, 2006 2:54 am PT

    April of this year or the next? *BIG SARCASTIC GRIN*

  • amirkalloe

    Posted Jan 10, 2006 2:28 am PT

    i don't like HF2

  • cps

    Posted Jan 10, 2006 2:19 am PT

    EA get closer to taking over the world...who will stop them?!

  • NnyCW

    Posted Jan 10, 2006 1:11 am PT

    Great news, about time the damn thing came out.
    Hopefully I don't have to wait for a fan made hi-res pack to come out for Aftermath, like was needed for Half-Life 2. Vavle better include that extra graphical sheen with the expansion by default.

  • Halo2_Norad

    Posted Jan 10, 2006 12:34 am PT

    $20.00 . . . $19.99 . . . 2 0 . . . April . . . W00T!!!!!!

  • ezrock212

    Posted Jan 9, 2006 11:06 pm PT

    HEY! How about HL2 and Aftermath for launch with the PS3!

  • Konfusion

    Posted Jan 9, 2006 9:42 pm PT

    Great to have a date, now people know "for when" they need to upgrade their PC ! Can't wait to play this one out. The demo was very fun.

  • wokisan

    Posted Jan 9, 2006 9:02 pm PT

    Looking forward to it....hopefully we will not have a repeat of Steam's activation/validation fiasco when HL2 was originally released.

    I'm old-school...I still like going to a store and having the game 'in hand' rather than d'ling it. But I'm sure alot of you will just go the Steam route.

  • forever_blank

    Posted Jan 9, 2006 8:53 pm PT

    That is cool, that means that I don't have to wonder round, looking for all the pieces, then I just buy it in one set, cool. I have never played half life, nore half life 2, always wanted to.

  • lquidsnake133

    Posted Jan 9, 2006 8:43 pm PT

    they should include day of defeat like CS source in HL2. The only retail is CS which u already get with retail HL2.

  • rock790

    Posted Jan 9, 2006 8:25 pm PT

    My uncle works for Valve, and he says that April is looking very shaky even now. Theyy have had some problems with the lighting from the Lost Coast level. I have played the demo, though, and it is awsome!

  • Narasil

    Posted Jan 9, 2006 8:06 pm PT

    ooh, it may be on my brothers b-day... i hope it isnt...lol
    cant wait for this game. How long is single player gona be?

  • onesimus319

    Posted Jan 9, 2006 7:55 pm PT

    I have truly enjoyed playing every bit of HL2 and look forward to the release of the expansion. I like to see more play with that ultra powerful gravity gun like the ending of HL2!

  • Sentinelrv

    Posted Jan 9, 2006 7:51 pm PT

    Hey everybody, there were also two new screenshots released. You can check them both out here at The HeadCrab Union... http://www.gamespot.com/pages/unions/read_article.php?topic_id=24196677&union_id=55

  • SaitouZero

    Posted Jan 9, 2006 7:42 pm PT

    Man, why did they have to choose EA to publish it. EA is a plague on the videogame industry. I guess I'll have to get the steam version.

  • IM_A_PRISON_WAL

    Posted Jan 9, 2006 7:38 pm PT

    Thats awsome... tools new album is seposed to come out in april to... mad pumped... april is gona be a sick month

  • NeoJedi

    Posted Jan 9, 2006 7:35 pm PT

    Finally, it's coming... can't wait.

  • Scarecrow89

    Posted Jan 9, 2006 7:30 pm PT

    That kinda stinks that everything plus half life 2 aftermath is now in a platinum edition box.Its not fair to me and to anyone else who bought them seperate.

  • LordDeArnise

    Posted Jan 9, 2006 7:07 pm PT

    This makes this expansion one of three PC Expansion Games (Guild Wars Chapter 2 & the WoW Expansion) to watch for this year!

  • doomed51

    Posted Jan 9, 2006 7:00 pm PT

    man by then i'll have my uber-PC and a copy of HL2....cant wait!!

  • doomed51

    Posted Jan 9, 2006 7:00 pm PT

    man by then i'll have my uber-PC and a copy of HL2....cant wait!!

  • trj156

    Posted Jan 9, 2006 6:56 pm PT

    i know its already been said but i would like to see this on 360. my pc can run hl2, but at the lowest settings, and who wants that. f.e.a.r. would be pretty cool too.

  • fatfreeamerica

    Posted Jan 9, 2006 6:56 pm PT

    HL2 is not overrated, I prefer it to any other FPS out there on any platform. Having said that, I haven't played every FPS, but from the many that I have played, HL games have the most involving storyline and the gameplay rocks just as much. I do have to say though, the ending of HL2 was a bit dissappointing... and it took them waaay to long to make Aftermath. After all, they have the technology developed for the most part, it shouldn't take them that long to make just an expansion. It had better be good.

  • Zilch06

    Posted Jan 9, 2006 6:55 pm PT

    Hey, this could be reason enough for me to buy Half Life 2 a bit later than I'd like to...

  • mdotmu

    Posted Jan 9, 2006 6:53 pm PT

    yesh! why don't they release Aftermath(the box/retail edition) with Day of Defeat: Source?? I just spent my money on HL2:GOTY Edition, I don't wanna shell out another 20 for DoD:S. But, I'll be getting Aftermath though.

  • dwoop

    Posted Jan 9, 2006 6:45 pm PT

    Hmm...EA again huh? Figures!! I'm guessing around $59.99 for the "Platinum Edition". Just keep EA away from actually working on the programming or design and it should be fine...

  • matttrd

    Posted Jan 9, 2006 6:40 pm PT

    I just don't get the whole HL hype, very overated imo there are far better FPS out there.

  • THE_BOOGIE_MAN

    Posted Jan 9, 2006 6:33 pm PT

    i cant wait for this =)

  • Perth68

    Posted Jan 9, 2006 6:23 pm PT

    I am interested in HL2 Aftermath, I am looking forward too how they develop the characters (mainly alex) and how they use some of the graphical effects that the showed in Lost Coast. Plus HL2 was so much fun the first time around but left off at a seemingly anti-climatic moment, hopefully this expansion will have more answers? I'm excited hopefully they wont push it back further

  • Philadendron

    Posted Jan 9, 2006 6:16 pm PT

    I personally thought FEAR was more engaging. HL2 had more environments, but other than that, I prefer FEAR. Not a big fan of the gravity gun, either.

    Platinum will be 80-100 bucks, I bet.

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