Half-Life 3 Leak Suggests It's a Steam Machine Launch Title

According to new rumors, the heavily rumored Half-Life 3 may still show up, but as a Steam Machine launch title. Half-Life fans have been asking for a sequel to the acclaimed Half-Life 2 for over a decade, to the point that Half-Life 3‘s existence (or lack thereof) itself became a meme on social media. Fans have been seeing signs pointing to a third chapter in the series everywhere, and eventually, they were all debunked by the repeated absence of Half-Life 3 in major gaming events and showcases.

The rumors of the third installment’s existence and upcoming first look have been ramping up for a few weeks now, and it was expected that Half-Life 3 would show up at The Game Awards 2025, but it didn’t. This is arguably the best place for upcoming reveals of video games, as it’s one of the most anticipated events in the industry, possibly the single most important. As such, not showing up at TGA 2025 could be another nail in Half-Life 3‘s coffin, but new rumors reaffirm that the game is indeed real and that it will be a launch title for Valve’s upcoming Steam Machine.

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Rumor: Half-Life 3 Announcement ‘Could Be Any Day’ Now

A new rumor suggests that Half-Life 3’s official announcement ‘could be any day.’

Half-Life 3’s Reveal Date May Be Much Closer Than You Think

Recently, Insider Gaming’s podcast, Insider Gaming Weekly, had Mike Straw reveal that he has spoken to undisclosed sources about Half-Life 3 and Valve’s plans regarding the game. Straw stated that all his sources are adamant about Half-Life 3 being a Steam Machine launch title. On Twitter, Straw also shared a post about Half-Life 3‘s no-show and no-reveal possibly being tied to the price and release date of the Steam Machine not being definitive just yet, implying that the game could be revealed once these details are made public and pre-orders become available.

Valve’s Steam Machine has been front and center of recent speculation, as it’s marketed as a high-end PC/console hybrid. The Steam Machine’s price is still up in the air, but the piece of hardware is supposedly releasing in Q1 2026, which gives further credence to the recent rumors that Half-Life 3 could be a launch title for Valve’s new platform. If this is true, though, the fact that Half-Life 3 didn’t show up at The Game Awards does put a deadline of sorts on its alleged reveal, as it should be officially announced around the time pre-orders go live.

Predicting Half-Life 3’s Announcement Date

In this scenario, Half-Life 3 may very well show up in the coming weeks or months, depending on when exactly the Steam Machine launches and what Valve’s plans are. Some worry that the PC/console hybrid may be quite expensive, and popular YouTuber Linus Tech Tips gave an estimate of the Steam Machine’s price based on what the components’ cost may be for Valve, which is around $699 for the retail version of the hardware. This is unconfirmed, and Valve will reportedly announce the price closer to the hardware’s release window in 2026, but speculation has the price point of the Steam Machine even higher than Linus Tech Tips’ estimate, possibly around $800.

If all this proves correct, there may be a clear reason to hold off on the official announcement of Half-Life 3, and that is to make it a big selling point of the Steam Machine, even in the face of potential backlash due to the PC/console’s price. A potential timeline could be:

The Steam Machine’s price and preorders go live early in Q1 2026, possibly between the end of January and February.
Half-Life 3 is announced simultaneously, with more reveals and trailers mounting up to the Steam Machine’s release date.
The Steam Machine’s release date is set between March and April, alongside Half-Life 3.

Half-Life 3 could be sold as a Steam Machine exclusive.

Half-Life 3 may hold as much hype power as GTA 6, considering how long fans have been asking for a sequel to 2004’s Half-Life 2. In this scenario, Half-Life 3‘s announcement and release would increase the hype surrounding the Steam Machine, as well as make its perceived value higher if Half-Life 3 turns out to be an exclusive for the hardware.