Half-Life 2 is about to turn 20 years old. That’s two decades, over 7,000 days, and countless FPS games emulating Valve’s work. We’re still waiting on Half-Life 3, and while recent rumors point to the sequel being as real as it ever has been, it looks like something big may be in store for Gordon Freeman’s second adventure. A new update bears a striking resemblance to one Valve dropped for the original Half-Life right before that game’s huge free update last year, so HL2 might be getting a similar overhaul.
Before we dive into what all of this could mean for Half-Life 2’s 20th anniversary, we need to acknowledge that it could be nothing. Saturday November 16 2024 could come and go with not even a word from Valve, but if we start putting the evidence together on a corkboard with red string, the case takes shape.
So what are we looking at? On Saturday August 17 Valve added a new branch to HL2 on Steam called ‘test.’ Alone it’s fairly innocuous, with the SteamDB page updating its user tags and making other backend changes throughout 2024. The iconic FPS game is almost 20 years old, but by itself, that’s no reason to assume something big. LambdaGeneration user ‘Red,’ who spotted the update, says as much.
Here’s where things get interesting though. Before the original Half-Life’s 25th anniversary last year, Valve uploaded a very similar update for that game. This patch also added a ‘test’ build, which was later revealed to be a colossal patch filled to the brim with content.
Valve added the 1999 Uplink demo to Half-Life, four new multiplayer maps, widescreen, lighting fixes, and even updated the shooter to verified status on Steam Deck. It was huge, and Half-Life 2’s similar backend patch, alongside the timing of its 20th anniversary, might signify that something is in the works.
Again, don’t get too excited though. If Valve is planning something for Half-Life 2’s birthday it’s going to be kept secret, and we might not even hear about it until the big day itself. Whatever happens, a big patch like the Half-Life anniversary update from last year will go down a treat, especially considering what the White Sands project leak could mean for the future of the series.
Half-Life 2 remastered did make an appearance on the Steam backend last year, so this new test branch may be related. In any case, I’d remain cautiously optimistic.
If you want to revisit more classics we’ve put together all the best PC games you can play in 2024, alongside some truly incredible old games to give you a dose of videogame history.
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Laura Adams is a tech enthusiast residing in the UK. Her articles cover the latest technological innovations, from AI to consumer gadgets, providing readers with a glimpse into the future of technology.
