Half-Life 2 receives new update prior to 20th anniversary

Rise and shine, Mr. Freeman. Rise and shine. A new update may be coming to Half-Life 2 just in time for its 20th anniversary.

A new branch for Half-Life 2 was added to Steam this past weekend, simply labeled "test." By itself, this isn't unusual, even for a game as old as Half-Life 2; after all, the first-person shooter regularly received updates as recently as last November. 

However, some gamers think this could be a big update for two reasons. Firstly, Half-Life 2's 20th anniversary is November 16 of this year. Secondly, the first Half-Life received a massive update for its 25th anniversary last year. That update included new multiplayer maps, widescreen support, some graphical improvements (primarily focused on writing), and more. 

While this news is firmly in the "rumor" category, it would be nice for Valve to give some renewed attention to what was once its bread-and-butter franchise. With the collective disappointment surrounding the all-but-confirmed demise of the highly anticipated third installment (though current rumors keep the hope alive), a big content update for Half-Life 2 would likely be met with cheers. 

Whether or not this update adds content, Half-Life 2 remains a solid FPS game. The game is currently available on Steam for $9.99.