According to this article, Valve abandoned the episodic model shortly after Episode 2 and began work on a full sequel, as it’s considered a rumor I ask if it’s true or not. That’s for you to decide.
https://www.nowgamer.com/news/6322/half-life-3-new-rumours-hot-up-debunked-by-valve
EDIT: Doug Lombardi sent out an email regarding this as fake, could just be a cover but that’s not likely.
Valve says it’s a rumor, it’s a rumor.
Believe me, when I say that I and multiple others here have qualified expirence in rumor generating. Black Mesa came out January 4th, after all.
When I read that news story, I couldn’t stop laughing! 
:3
I still don’t understand why people are so caught up on the Episode 3 vs Half-Life 3. Who cares as long as its half life. They could call it Half-Life: If You Play This Your a Faggot and I’d still buy and play it.
The desperation is palpable.
Nah, its just a name is pretty irrelevant. People don’t seem to get this.
I wonder what Valve really has got up their sleeve though.
From how long it’s taking to come out this game better be massive and awesome.
We’ll never know
i don’t want to sound bad in anyway when i say this, but…
Wasn’t this already known a long while back?
I saw articles dating form quite a while back, saying that Valve had already dropped the episodic model due to technical reasons.
I suppose the confirmation of no “Episode 3” wasn’t as concrete as this, but it was announced a while back.
But this means they are bound to change engines first, then release the 3rd.
Oh that wasn’t aimed at you. It’s all that endless speculation about the next HL installment that I was getting at.
I still believe that they will call it Episode 3. Calling it Half Life 3 wouldn’t make any sense, especially if it’s continuing from Episode 2.
First they make Episode 3, then they dump the episodic shit.
On a side not guys, the dude who made the original post on that forum… well, he was removed and permanently banned.
If this would be just a baseless rumor, Valve wouldn’t be this harsh. Personally, I think that making an Episode 3, even with an upgraded Source engine, is a little dangerous by 2011. Sure, fans like us would buy it, but I think it’s time to move to an entirely new engine - if they want good sales.
I would say this depends if they keep the same engine or not.
Source is getting old, although it is ahead of so many out there.
they might consider remaking one first.
EA creating episode 4? that is rich … if anyone believes that post from that point they must be retarded … but as I’m looking at the “facts” that guy has good old words come to my mind and those are … “a hundred times repeated lie, becomes truth” :facepalm:
They are keeping the same engine. They say at least ten times a year that they aren’t switching engines any time soon.
I do agree that Source could use a facelift, but if was just graphically on par with Portal 2 I’d be perfectly happy. I’m much more worried about the loading times.
they will release EP3 normally and after 6 hours of gameplay if you wait through the credits it just starts a new game and says “Half Life 3” in the title with a completely different engine and art direction.
That would totally be awesome, even if HL3 is only 3 hours long.
First one is good, second one would be kind of dumb unless there was a canonical reason for it. (i.e., Combine home world)
Founded in 2004, Leakfree.org became one of the first online communities dedicated to Valve’s Source engine development. It is more famously known for the formation of Black Mesa: Source under the 'Leakfree Modification Team' handle in September 2004.