Valve composer Mike Morasky confirms Half-Life 3 codename HLX at GameSoundCon

Valve composer Mike Morasky referenced the codename HLX during a GameSoundCon 2026 panel. Morasky said Deadlock and HLX each run their own version of Valve's HDR audio system. This marks the first public acknowledgment of HLX as a standalone Valve project. Insiders have linked HLX to Half-Life 3 since the codename surfaced in Counter-Strike 2 files in 2024.

Morasky's remark placed Deadlock and HLX inside the same HDR and audio-group architecture.
"Deadlock has its own version of HDR, HLX has its own version, and so on and so forth." - Mike Morasky, Composer and Audio Designer, Valve
That framing implies both titles draw on one shared engine subsystem, not isolated tooling.
Deadlock remains in active live development, shipping a new hero this month.

Valve insider Tyler McVicker said testers completed HLX start to finish last summer.
"The game is playable end-to-end, period. They're probably content-locked, or if they're not they're mechanic-locked." - Tyler McVicker, Valve insider reporter
McVicker also said the project departs from Half-Life: Alyx's VR-only format.
Half-Life: Alyx, released in 2020, remains Valve's last shipped entry in the series.

Valve added Steam Deck compatibility and new content to the original Half-Life in 2023.
That update coincided with the series' 25th anniversary rather than any HLX disclosure.
Rumors tie a future Half-Life release to Valve's in-development Steam Machine hardware.
Analysts say such a title would register at a macro scale as a launch game, but Valve doesn't need one that size to sell the hardware.

For Publishers & Developers: Build date-shift buffers into PC narrative-shooter launches slated near Valve's hardware window.
For UA & Marketing: Hold contingency PC budget to reschedule beats around a sudden Valve flagship reveal.