The dream of Half-Life 3 lives on—but maybe not for much longer. While 2025 has been buzzing with renewed excitement around Valve’s elusive sequel, a trusted insider has poured cold water on growing rumors following an unexpected discovery: the official Half-Life 3 domain name has expired.
A Surge of Hope — Then Silence
The speculation surrounding Half-Life 3 reached new highs in recent months, thanks to a flurry of datamined leaks, trademark chatter, and whispers about a mysterious Valve project codenamed HLX. Fans were quick to connect the dots, believing HLX could be Half-Life 3 in disguise, especially after one leaker claimed the title was in the playtesting and polishing phase.
Adding fuel to the fire, Half-Life: Alyx‘s success in 2020 was seen as Valve’s renewed commitment to the franchise after more than a decade of silence.
Gabe Follower’s Discovery Raises Red Flags
However, momentum may have hit a snag. On June 28, 2025, reliable Valve insider Gabe Follower revealed on social media that the original Half-Life 3 domain, registered back in 1999, has officially expired—and more importantly, Valve chose not to renew it.
“Valve has let the original Half-Life 3 domain expire today,” he wrote in a post on X. “Make of that what you will.”
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This move has cast significant doubt on the theory that an announcement is imminent. While a domain lapse doesn’t definitively mean the end of the project, it’s a surprising step for a company known to be meticulous about its IP protection.
Domain Expiry: Just a Misstep or a Message?
Domain expirations can happen for various reasons—oversight, rebranding, or strategic decisions—but given the context and the timing, fans are understandably rattled. If Valve were truly planning to unveil Half-Life 3 soon, allowing the domain to lapse seems inconsistent with typical pre-announcement marketing behavior.
Still, optimists argue that the project may now go under a different name (HLX perhaps), or that the expired domain is simply being transitioned.
So, Is Half-Life 3 Still Happening?
At this point, it’s anyone’s guess. Between credible datamining and insider claims, something is clearly happening at Valve. Whether that “something” is Half-Life 3, a new VR spinoff, or an entirely new project remains unconfirmed.
What’s certain is that Valve continues to keep fans in suspense—something it’s been doing for nearly two decades.
The Half-Life 3 rumor train shows no sign of stopping, but the latest development has thrown a wrench into fans’ long-held hopes. Until Valve speaks out, speculation will continue to thrive—but this domain lapse is a stark reminder that the return of Gordon Freeman might still be out of reach.