Fans have been patiently waiting for Valve to announce Half-Life 3 for years now, with hopeful gamers constantly searching for any new clue about the future of the critically-acclaimed shooter franchise.
Today does bring some Half-Life related news, but not the kind fans want. According to an email exchange with a fan asking about Half-Life 3 (since posted to Reddit and confirmed by Gamasutra), lead Half-Life writer Marc Laidlaw has left Valve after 18 years.
To call Laidlaw the "lead writer" for Half-Life isn't entirely accurate. He was, in fact, the only writer for two of the most well-received games of all time. Laidlaw says there are many reasons for his retirement, most of them personal.
"An outwardly obvious reason is I'm old, or anyway oldish" Laidlaw writes. "My nickname when I first started at Valve was 'Old Man Laidlaw.' The little baby level designer who gave me that nickname is now older than I was then. Imagine how much older I am!
"... I had a good run but lately I have been feeling a need for a break from the collaborative chaos of game production, and a return to more self-directed writing projects."
So, what does that mean for Half-Life 3? As Laidlaw is no longer with the company, he's not saying.
"I don't and can't entirely know," he writes. "Half-Life is fully owned by Valve. It came into existence before my arrival. Where Valve may choose to take it in the future is not in my hands. I have been a grateful co-creator, but my time working on the series is behind me. Since I no longer work for Valve, it would be inappropriate for me to answer questions or speculate openly on the fate of the franchise."
Laidlaw will move forward on his personal projects, but for Half-Life fans, the long wait for news about the end of Valve's trilogy will go on.
