Half-Life Alyx: Valve announces first sequel in beloved series for more than a decade

Game is not the much-discussed Half-Life 3 – but something else entirely, played in virtual reality

(Flickr/tux404)

A new Half-Life game is finally coming, more than a decade after the latest in the series.

The Half-Life games are beloved but the cause of much frustration. Repeatedly, developers Valve have suggested that new updates are on their way – only for nothing to arrive.

Twice, developers have created supposed trilogies that only amounted to two games. First it created Half-Life 1 and 2, and then Half-Life: Episode 1 and Half-Life: Episode 2, but in each case a promised third release failed to materialise.

The same thing then happened to a variety of other Valve games – from Dota 2 to Portal 2 – leading many to fear that there was never going to another update on the promised Half-Life games.

Now Valve says that it is about to reveal a virtual reality entry to the series. Nearly three years ago, VR versions of the Half-Life games were teased and now they look finally as if they are going to arrive.

Valve said very little about the new release. It promised more would be said on Thursday, at 6pm UK time.​

Alyx is the name of a character in the earlier Half-Life games. But like the rest of the universe he has not been properly seen since 2007, when the latest Half-Life game was released.

The new VR games are not expected to be a third entry in either of the existing Half-Life trilogies, but will presumably be set in the same world. Rumours have suggested they could be a prequel.

Valve makes its own VR headset called the Index, which includes a variety of advanced features.