Project Borealis might be the closest we get to Half-Life 3

Twenty years ago, Half-Life 2 changed the world of gaming forever — and also sealed Half-Life 3 as perhaps the most anticipated sequel of all time. Since then, Valve has thoroughly enjoyed teasing its fans, but there has been nothing official about Half-Life 3. Fans have taken it upon themselves to create the sequel they apparently aren’t going to get in the form of Project Borealis, and now it finally has a Steam page.

Project Borealis isn’t new. It was originally intended to be an interpretation of Half-Life 2: Episode 3 — a game that never released — but the developers went radio silent for a while. A few months back, a new trailer dropped that reignited discussion about the game. Now it finally has a Steam page, and that means release is closer than ever before.

The Steam page shows a short trailer and numerous screenshots that depict a snow-covered Ravenholm. If you’ve never played Half-Life 2, know this: that name evokes both excitement and fear among players. While an amazing area, its masterful use of horror tropes made it a tense section to play through.

Don’t misunderstand: there’s still hope for Half-Life 3. When Valve released Half-Life: Alyx out of nowhere back in 2020, it took the community by surprise. With hints of a 20th anniversary celebration of some sort on the horizon, fans are once more letting themselves believe the sequel might come. Of course, Valve could just as easily release an updated and remastered version of the previous Half-Life games. It wouldn’t be as good as a new game, but it would still be plenty welcome. The classic FPS is beginning to show its age on subsequent playthroughs.