2 min read
The gaming world is holding its breath. After years of silence, Half-Life 3 rumours have officially reached a boiling point. Recent reports from a credible industry insider suggest that Valve is on course to announce the long-awaited sequel before the end of 2025.
Here is everything you need to know about the latest leaks and the massive surge in community interest.
Insider Predicts Half-Life 3 Announcement in “Weeks”
Mike Straw, Senior Editor at Insider Gaming, recently doubled down on his claims regarding the game’s timeline. During the Insider Gaming Weekly podcast on November 21, Straw stated that an announcement is likely only a “matter of weeks” away.
Previously, Straw reported that a major announcement would follow the mid-November reveal of the new Steam Machine. On November 20, he clarified that this upcoming news refers specifically to Half-Life 3.
However, Straw has not released a specific date despite receiving one from a source. He suspects Valve is currently using a “Canary Trap”. This tactic involves circulating different dates to different employees to identify leakers. Valve likely used this same strategy during the Half-Life: Alyx leaks in 2019. Consequently, confirming the exact day independently has proven difficult.
The Game Awards & Hype Levels
Many fans expect a reveal at The Game Awards (TGA) on December 11, 2025. However, Straw believes a surprise reveal during the show is unlikely. Instead, Valve would likely announce the game prior to the event. A surprise drop of this magnitude would overshadow other publishers who paid for trailer slots, breaking industry conventions.
Meanwhile, the data proves that anticipation is at an all-time high. According to Google Trends, global search volume for Half-Life 3 has hit a 17-year high. We have not seen interest levels this high since August 2008, when Episode Three was rumoured for the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) conference. Additionally, traffic to Wikipedia pages related to the franchise has surged significantly since mid-November 2025.
A Project Years in the Making
This current wave of speculation began back in August 2024. At that time, well-known dataminer GabeFollower discovered references to the project within Valve’s codebases.
Since then, multiple sources have supported the existence of this new iteration. Reports suggest this version of the project has progressed further than any previous attempt at a third mainline title. With the end of 2025 approaching fast, all eyes are now on Valve.
