Valve teases Half-Life 2: Episode Three

Marketing director Doug Lombardi says announcement may arrive later this year, though game is still more than a year off.

Had things gone according to plan, Half-Life 2: Episode 3 would already be old news. After all, when Valve originally said that it would rebrand Half-Life 2: Aftermath as Episode 1 and release subsequent installments on an episodic timeline, the final game in the Gordon Freeman saga was expected to land by Christmas 2007. Of course, Valve ended up releasing its highly acclaimed The Orange Box during that time frame, which included Episode Two along with Half-Life 2, Episode 1, Team Fortress 2, and Portal.

Now, eyes have turned to the long-promised Episode Three. In an interview with gaming blog Kikizo, Valve marketing director Doug Lombardi revealed that information on the game may be just around the corner. "We may at the very end of the year," said Lombardi, when asked when Valve plans to announce or show the game.

Although an announcement may be impending, a release date remains farther away on the horizon. "The next time you play as Gordon will be longer than the distance between [Half-Life 2] to [Episode 1], and [Episode 1] to [Episode 2]," cryptically noted Lombardi. Half-Life 2 was released for the PC in November 2004, with Episode 1 following in June 2006 and Episode 2 debuting alongside The Orange Box in October 2007. Doing the math, that would put Episode 3's release date as far off as 2010.

With its multiyear development cycles, the term episodic is a bit misleading, a fact that Lombardi acknowledged. "I think our philosophy was that, we spent six years on Half-Life 2 and upwards of $40 million, and basically 80 percent of the company ended working up on it for a good chunk of that time. And that was just too much; nobody wanted to do that again... I think the goal is to get away from that 'half a lifetime, mountains of money' to produce the next thing, and we've succeeded in that--and maybe we could have chosen a better word to describe what we were doing."

For more on Valve's Half-Life 2: Episode 2, check out GameSpot's review of The Orange Box.

436 Comments

  • thisisreallybor

    Posted Jul 10, 2009 12:18 pm PT

    episode 3, diablo 3, starcraft 2 FTW

  • Rusican

    Posted Jun 29, 2009 10:50 am PT

    I cant wait for the release and I hope its better than all of the Half Life .

  • killer978452

    Posted Jun 21, 2009 10:52 pm PT

    Just release it. I CAN'T WAIT ANY LONGER!!!!

  • aura_enchanted

    Posted Jun 18, 2009 7:27 am PT

    i demand a new opposing forces!

  • littlealien

    Posted Jun 9, 2009 5:53 am PT

    we can only hope.......

  • glyder56

    Posted Jun 5, 2009 10:43 pm PT

    Totem3000 I wouldn't go as far as saying its the best. I finished Portal in 3 hours, then advanced soon after, TF2 gets boring and frustrating (in my opinion) and HL2 ep 2 was way better on PC. I wouldn't say its the best game on 360

  • Styxxxxxxxxxx

    Posted Jun 5, 2009 12:52 pm PT

    i dont get it , just release the dam game already, and start making half life 3 to beat the crap out of crisis 2, i expect nothing else from a half life 3

  • cyberspider2

    Posted Jun 3, 2009 6:04 am PT

    team fortress 2 is better on the PC in my opinion, on the xbox it lags like crazy. It also has some exclusing features on the pc such as new weapons, abilities and maps.

  • Totem3000

    Posted May 19, 2009 7:38 am PT

    kurt 966, trust me orange box is probably the best game on the xbox 360.
    incredible singleplayer and multiplayer and portal as the topping on the cake (pun (not sure if it is) probably intended)

  • X-Blade7

    Posted May 13, 2009 12:57 pm PT

    IT IS KILLING ME WAITING FOR THIS GAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • kurt966

    Posted May 9, 2009 7:20 am PT

    i'm thinking of getting the orange box now because its only 20$

  • thenewseth

    Posted May 8, 2009 12:36 am PT

    All I know is this....I would NEVER get tired of playing Episodes or the story arc as they refer to it. I am a die hard Half-Life player and love every second of it.

  • NPX190

    Posted May 4, 2009 8:41 am PT

    No doubt, there are going to be puzzles in ep 3. HL2 had a fair share of having puzzles, not like Portal, but we remember the canals, right? Take the having to find the blue barrels located randomly, and having to figure out to put them under something to make a ramp to jump across. Don't know if these rumors have come here, but it seems the concept Ep3 Borealis map is like that, but some will say after they find the wheel to get the door open by the Aperture sign, that does not work, the wheel for some reason does not launch into its switch. Many also were critical of how the ice looked in some maps, and said that needed to be improved. Aside from that, don't know if any of you are die hard Portal fans, but there is rumor of Valve going back to the Portal story, so thats either another game, or something to do with Ep3. I was rooting for Ep3 being finalized first though. I can safely say though that at this point from some stuff I have seen, won't say how, but so far, it looks like the ending story planned for Ep3 is also left on a cliff hanger, won't say what happened, because that would spoil it. Another thing I will say is its too bad about Sierra's parent company that got in a fight with Valve, since Sierra had done Half-Life Decay on PS2, I say that because the rumor of Valve not doing the HL that comes after Ep3, and giving rights to someone else, but that's a real long time away. Also, if it wasn't for "Star Wars", maybe Valve wouldn't have used the term "episode" for HL2, which we all know how long apart the distance between those movies were, which makes the distance for HL2's episodes not so long in comparison, since both series are space sci-fi.

  • thenephariouson

    Posted Apr 28, 2009 1:14 pm PT

    I simply cant wait for episode 3, I wonder if VALVe have introduced the 'Aperature' from Portal into Ep 3? As at the end of Ep2 they locate the 'Borealis' research ship. How cool would it be to have the Aperature 'Portal' device to despatch your enemies & solve puzzles?

    I also hope VALVe include Half Life Deathmatch, for me, that was the only thing missing from the Orange box.

    Without a doubt, the best story based FPS ever made, cant wait.

  • BiGG_SMiGG

    Posted Apr 19, 2009 4:21 am PT

    i..........cant...........wait! this beter be out soon, i think if it doesnt come out within a year, i think i will have a nervous breakdown and kill myself lol

  • lordshodan

    Posted Apr 16, 2009 8:49 pm PT

    Developpers at Valve should think twice next time before deciding to develop episodic games that last less than 5 hours if they are not going to release at least an episode per year. If I can see a Call of Duty game every year then there is no reason why this cannot work for Half-Life 2 episode games. After all, this is the same engine with slight enhancements

  • lordshodan

    Posted Apr 16, 2009 8:46 pm PT

    The longer it takes, the higher my expectations are going to be......I just hope Black Mesa mod (remake of original Half-Life) will be released later this year as well as Portal 2.

  • iki080

    Posted Apr 14, 2009 7:22 pm PT

    ooooo cant wait

  • rotiv415

    Posted Apr 14, 2009 10:58 am PT

    i want ...Half portal Life: episode 4 left dead to be the next game...EPICK!!

  • hotbodyboy_2006

    Posted Apr 11, 2009 10:21 am PT

    I hope Episode 3 will not be the last. We need Half Life 3 which will blow the likes of Killzone 2 outta the window....

  • parazitu001

    Posted Apr 8, 2009 8:45 am PT

    if there will be a half life 3 game wil be produced in 8 years at least but will be god like

  • gerti999

    Posted Apr 1, 2009 5:42 am PT

    may god bless VALVE for the Half Life and i hope the ep3 may be good as ep2 and a little more longer

  • doktron

    Posted Mar 25, 2009 5:29 am PT

    HL2 ep1&2 to ep3 has taken longer to produce than the original HL to HL2.This game better be longer than 6 hrs to play!And I dont want another Portal or Left4Dead, or a dumbdown console port(FEAR2 developers,take note)! As a matter of fact I would rather have had HL2 ep3 before Left4Dead! Hey,Valve, WAKE UP! You owe us Halflife fans bigtime!

  • Sullivaineus

    Posted Mar 22, 2009 5:24 am PT

    episode 3 wont be the last. we still have half life 3 to wait for!!

  • tigu01

    Posted Mar 19, 2009 3:17 pm PT

    deemet half -life is best game all his lifetime.. but baddd that episonde 3 will be last ...
    I still play the half -life ower and ower again its good ....
    sorry valve but i am not glad about left 4 dead ......

  • smghottie

    Posted Mar 4, 2009 12:29 pm PT

    I hate waiting...especially when it comes to Half Life. These games are so brilliantly done, and after reading a summarization of the Half Life history I am even more drawn to it.

    I'm sure it will be the best of all episodes, and the ending cannot disappoint. Newell hasn't been building this series for 12 years to have the final act ruined.

    I believe in the efforts of the Valve team, and will buy this game the second it comes out.

  • jpchap

    Posted Mar 3, 2009 1:04 pm PT

    I hope I don't die before I get to play Ep3. Seriously.

  • Xizle

    Posted Feb 27, 2009 1:36 am PT

    I'm looking forward to the half life portal cross over

  • xp44

    Posted Feb 22, 2009 3:23 pm PT

    ARE THEY OUT OF THERE MIND!!! that will take forever!

  • sackboy25

    Posted Feb 18, 2009 10:56 am PT

    hopefully the time spent on ep3 will make it the best half-life yet to come, all of them are excellent and i hope they don`t push it´s release date even more back.

  • stormtrooper377

    Posted Feb 15, 2009 8:09 pm PT

    honestly people, do NOt worry about HL ending. They have reported that ep 3 is the last of HL2 but not of HL. Although i have seen to much to point me towards freeman being replaced for HL3.

  • raladin3d

    Posted Feb 1, 2009 8:54 pm PT

    I believe that they will take us to the Molester's World yay
    that's really cool since the graphics would be the best

  • Elisecobrauk

    Posted Jan 20, 2009 12:42 pm PT

    I hope by the fact its taking soooo long , its going to be the best ever !

  • xp44

    Posted Jan 19, 2009 7:34 am PT

    this is going to be the most BEST game ever. BUT WHY CAN'T YOU JUST MAKE THE GAME ALREADY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • jeffwb17

    Posted Jan 18, 2009 2:00 pm PT

    Sorry to disappoint, but I heard from an interview with someone at valve that they were considering the three episodes as Half-Life "3".

    Even though it's got 2 in the title. So...yeah

  • goatheadman1

    Posted Jan 18, 2009 9:48 am PT

    What about a HALF LIFE 3!!!!!

  • Fodpea

    Posted Jan 16, 2009 6:01 am PT

    i hope it takes more then 12 hours to beat. and thats it. and comes out this year

  • alien33

    Posted Jan 16, 2009 3:25 am PT

    episode 3 is taking TOO long!! make it already, i cant wait!! they first said that it would be out by Christmas 2007!

    and i agree with some users, opposing force is one of the best expansions for a game ever

  • ride4rossi

    Posted Jan 13, 2009 10:14 pm PT

    I just finished half life 2 episode 2. The entire series is spectacular and I am looking forward to Episode 3. however i have heard a rumor that it will not be released on the PS3. I hope this is just rumor

  • algera8

    Posted Jan 13, 2009 5:48 pm PT

    Spectacular Game, Spectacular Developers, Spectacular company and beyond. Hands down the most in depth enjoyable series of products i have ever played. i Can't wait but i will wait.

  • chechak7

    Posted Jan 8, 2009 5:48 pm PT

    HL series is may best game ever .can't wait

  • llakallaka

    Posted Jan 8, 2009 3:54 pm PT

    i just dont care how much i have to wait.. as long as they dont stop making them

  • Banjo_7

    Posted Jan 8, 2009 3:34 pm PT

    So does that mean Half Life 3 could have a new character? Propostorous!

  • PsychoBear

    Posted Jan 8, 2009 8:45 am PT

    I do hope they continue the Half-Life series. This is the best ever series (in my view) in gaming history. Each one has been great and I to will be very sad when I finish episode 3.

  • chainsaw_fetish posted Jan 7, 2009 5:43 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    chainsaw_fetish

    Posted Jan 7, 2009 5:43 pm PT (hide)

    Damn! i love this games, cant wait any more, Half Life 3 should be release this year, stop with the episodes thing, after HL2 E3 what? we gonna wait 5 or 6 more years to get HALF LIFE 3? that sucks!!! this guys are too greedy

  • XeroGeez

    Posted Dec 31, 2008 2:26 pm PT

    There is no reason to even debate it. Somewhere in an interview they said that it will be the last of the half-life 2 arc, but not the last half-life.

  • burnteyeball posted Dec 28, 2008 9:47 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    burnteyeball

    Posted Dec 28, 2008 9:47 pm PT (hide)

    I'll bet they'l do something like Halo3 did. I wouldnt be suprised one bit if they have Gorden floating in space in half a ship asleep moving around a purple planet. I knew MS wouldnt kill off there biggest money maker and I bet again that Valve wont either.

  • Shadow_th

    Posted Dec 26, 2008 9:38 am PT

    To be honest, I don't think Half Life 2: Episode Three will be the last HL game, seriously.
    Valve has done quite a nice job with the games, HL1 was revolutionary, CS was one of the most played multiplayer FPS games around, HL2 was highly rated by game reviews and players altogether, and recently Left 4 Dead was another hit, presenting a different gameplay style to FPS's. I just find it hard that Valve will not develop a Half Life 3 in future, by avoiding producing it they're just losing money.

  • baluchi94

    Posted Dec 21, 2008 2:11 pm PT

    i have played all the half lifes. i remember when my dad bought me a game pack which had blue shift half life counter strike and opposing force. loved all the games, then i heard about hald life 2, i went crazy about it till i bought it and it was one of the best games every made. i played ep. 1 n 2. and finished them all in one day so i hope this one is a long one because we have to w8 to long. HL was one of the first games that i played and i was about 7 or 8 yrs old. and im really disappointed that its gonna end. and they should do opposing force 2 or blue shift 2 cuz i really liked them too.

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