Half-Life spin-off confirmed? Valve boss teases new IP set in Half-Life & Portal universe

Valve president Gabe Newell has revealed that the video game studio is still interested in developing single player games, even teasing a new game in the Half-Life universe during a Reddit Ask Me Anything (AMA).

Asked if Valve are working on any "fully-fledged single-player games" Newell answered with a simple "yes". When a follow-up question asked if there was "any chance of a new IP that takes place in the Half-Life/Portal universe?" he again answered "yep".

It's not just games. Newell also updated fans on the status of the two films set in the Half-Life universe that are currently in the early stages of production with J. J. Abrams. "They're coming," he teased.

While far from an official announcement, these aren't things the Valve boss would admit flippantly given the extent to which he and his company has been hounded by fans asking whether a Half-Life sequel will ever be made.

Last week, Game Informer published an interview with a single source (so take it with a pinch of salt) who revealed details about Half Life 3 / Half Life 2: Episode Three's troubled development.

The source said that attempts to get the game made would "starve to death", adding: "The people that tried to give it life find themselves better off working on other projects. What you have left is nothing going on with Half-Life."

The new IP set in the Half-Life universe could be a virtual reality game. When asked about HTC Vive, which Valve helped develop, and the prospect of Valve developing a "full game experience" for VR, he said: "Yes. We think VR is pretty important as a tool for interesting games."

Asked about Source 2, the engine that now powers Dota 2, Newell said: "We are continuing to use Source 2 as our primary game development environment. Aside from moving Dota 2 to the engine recently, we are are using it as the foundation of some unannounced products."

There hasn't been a Half-Life game since 2007's Half Life 2: Episode Two, but there have been two games set within that same narrative universe: puzzle games Portal and Portal 2. Portal 2 was released in 2011.

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