A new Half-Life on the way? A Valve composer said ‘HLX’ on stage and fans lost it

One word was enough to get Half-Life fans going again. During a talk at GameSoundCon on October 21, Valve composer Mike Morasky mentioned “HLX” as if it were a project in progress.

What did he say?

The panel was about the audio engine in Source 2, Valve’s technology. While explaining how each team tunes its sound, Morasky said Deadlock has its own version of an audio system and HLX has its own too.

According to PC Gamer, a fellow panelist whispered “nice work,” and later joked that he’d only said HLX once. The clip spread on October 22 after Valve watcher Tyler McVicker posted it on X.

What is HLX?

Nobody knows for sure. The name first surfaced in February 2024, when “hlx” was found in Counter-Strike 2 update files next to code for the project that became Deadlock.

Fans’ theory: Half-Life: Alyx’s internal name was “HLVR,” so HLX would be a new Half-Life. But the “X” could mean anything.

Has Valve confirmed anything?

No. Valve hasn’t announced a new Half-Life and hasn’t commented on Morasky’s remark. Several outlets, including IGN, read it as a sign the project is in active development, but it’s still unconfirmed.

When could it be announced?

That’s pure speculation. Some outlets point to The Game Awards in December. One thing in fans’ favor: Half-Life: Alyx went from reveal to release very quickly, so Valve could surprise people again.

A bit of history

• Half-Life 2 came out on November 16, 2004.
• Half-Life 2: Episode Two, the last chapter of that story, came out in 2007.
• Half-Life: Alyx, a VR game, arrived in March 2020.

Quick answers

Is Half-Life 3 confirmed? No.

What is HLX? An internal name fans link to a new Half-Life.

Who mentioned it? Valve composer Mike Morasky.

Sources: Gaming Route