A new leak has caused speculation that Half-Life 3 could be revealed soon as a Steam Machine title. According to the latest HL3 rumor, Valve is getting ready to announce something bigger than their recent consoles, controller, and VR headset.
Is Half-Life 3 Going to Be Announced for Steam Machine?
Another month, another Half-Life 3 rumor. Yeah, the long-awaited sequel has basically become a meme at this point. There are so many leaks and rumors about this thing supposedly existing that it’s hard to make heads or tails. However, this latest “leak” is interesting as it comes freshly off the heels of Valve revealing their “Steam Machine” gaming console.
The rumor first started when gaming insider ‘Shpeshal Nick’ made an ominous tweet on X. “If what I was just DMd is actually true (big if), next week GTA 6 could actually have its thunder stolen on the hype scale.” After Valve announced the Steam Machine, a fan asked Shpeshal if this is what he was talking about. “Technically no. I will quote tweet myself one way or another next week. Because I said next week.”
This immediately sparked speculation on sites like Reddit that Valve was sitting on a second announcement, given that Shpeshal Nick confirmed the new console wasn’t the “big news.” It should be pointed out that the gaming insider never said it was Half-Life 3. He was also very up front that he had been DMd by a secondary source. Still, him describing it as “stealing the thunder of GTA” made many believe it’s about HL3.
Was Half-Life 3 Secretly Teased in the Steam Machine Reveal Video?
Adding further fuel to the fire is the actual Steam Machine reveal trailer itself. Eagle-eyed fans noticed a moment in the video where the new Valve console is covered in stickers. One of the stickers looks to be a Half-Life logo that has a “censored” label over it. However, even more compelling is a giant sticker above this that says “SOON.”
Now I know what you are thinking. This sounds an awful lot like the It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia “Pepe Silvia” meme. Players could certainly be reaching and reading too much into this. But on the other hand, it is a bit odd that Valve would reveal their new gaming console with random word stickers on it. There is also another moment in the video where a keyboard has the Half-Life Lambda logo on it. Could all of this be a Half-Life 3 tease? Or just more cope?
Why Half-Life 3 Could Be Tied to Valve’s Steam Machine Launch
A big reason many people believe Half-Life 3 could be tied to Steam Machine is Valve has a history of using the franchise to launch new platforms. Half-Life Alyx, for example, was released alongside the original Steam VR headset. We also have The Game Awards 2025 just around the corner. So perhaps it could get announced there?
Personally, I think we should all keep our expectations in check. I think it’s again important to reiterate that Shpeshal Nick never mentioned Half-Life 3 by name. And as compelling as the long-awaited sequel would be to launch the Valve console, it does seem a bit too good to be true. Let’s be real here.
Also, this is Half-Life 3 we are talking about. As I said, it’s become “the” mythical unicorn of the game industry at this point. We’ve heard more credible rumors in the past that never panned out. That said, what game could be big enough to “steal the thunder” of GTA 6? If not a new Half-Life game, then what else could it be?
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