Speculation surrounding the potential development of Half-Life 3 has once again surfaced, this time due to a comment made by Valve music designer Mike Morasky. During a panel discussion on audio technology at GameSoundCon, Morasky referenced 'HLX' while explaining a technical aspect of game audio.
Approximately an hour into the panel, Morasky was discussing optimization for High Dynamic Range (HDR) audio when he stated, "Basically, that's one of the three pieces that come together to make HDR that you can easily optimise." He continued, "In fact, I think Deadlock has their own version of HDR. HLX has its own version, so on and so forth."
The mention of HLX has drawn significant attention as it aligns with previous findings. The acronym previously appeared within data strings from a Counter-Strike 2 update, leading to its interpretation as a potential codename for a new Valve project. This discovery echoes the situation with Half-Life: Alyx, which was internally codenamed HLVR.
Morasky's co-panelist, David Feise, appeared to subtly acknowledge the slip-up on stage, and reports suggest Morasky has a history of making similar inadvertent remarks regarding HLX. While this latest comment does not provide concrete evidence of Half-Life 3's existence, it has fueled existing fan theories.
This development follows comments from former Valve writer Chet Faliszek, who has previously expressed a lack of interest in contributing to a Half-Life 3, stating he would not engage with a sequel under any circumstances.