Half-Life 3 teased as codename 'HLX' through datamining: Valve's new single-player game

Valve is working on a next-generation single-player game, codenamed "HLX" and is rumored to be Half-Life 3. Yes, that Half-Life 3.

The news of Half-Life 3 is coming from a voice actor who has leaked HLX, with references to "Project White Sands (video game)," in which Natasha Chandel performed voice work. The reference to "white sands" is probably a reference to Half-Life 3 through "White sands is a park in New Mexico... state where is (was) Black Mesa". Alright, hyped.

But, through datamining, we've got Valve leaker Tyler McVicker giving us the rundown on what's happening in the world of Half-Life 3 (in the video above, and the post on X below). There are a ton of points towards Half-Life 3 in the leaks, something McVicker covers beautifully in his video.

McVicker puts it plainly, that codename HLX from Valve is a new non-VR single-player game where you play as a character inside of an HEV suit... who else can that be, other than the man himself: Gordon Freeman.

• Read more: Valve working on 2 new Half-Life games to follow-up on Half-Life: Alyx

This would be the first game in the Half-Life franchise since Half-Life: Alyx, which was a VR game, and if you haven't played it, one of the best gaming experiences of my life. I played it with the proper hand controllers, and as a massive Half-Life fan, it was mind-blowing for me. Half-Life 3 though? Insert that into my veins.

Especially if we have some truly next-generation destruction and physics in Half-Life 3, something teased in these new leaks from datamining, that has me quite excited.

One commenter on Reddit said: "These are the kind of leaks that are always fun, a legitimate first-hand source that isn't filtered through some influencer trying to vaguepost for engagement", while another said: "Just a voice actor who probably has never heard of Steam nonchalantly mentioning they did work on Half Life 3". Another, posted "f*ck it, I'm putting my clown makeup back on".