The first images from Half-Life 3? Fans analyze new screenshots

For months, leaks about Valve’s alleged Project HLX have been circulating online, with many fans hoping it is the long-awaited third Half-Life game. Now, a new Reddit post has added fresh fuel to the speculation. User u/Ramarkable_Beach7608 claims to have seen several unusual screenshots on a Discord server connected to Gabe Follower. According to the post, the images were deleted shortly after appearing, but two of them were saved. They appear to show a forested scene, Gordon Freeman, what could be Eli Vance, and a glowing blue orb in the background.

The obvious question is whether this is really an early look at Half-Life 3 or HLX – or simply a well-made fake. In the comments, many users lean toward the latter. Some point to elements that look typical of Unreal Engine 5, especially the clouds, lighting and vegetation. That would speak against the images being genuine, as Valve would most likely use the Source 2 engine for HL3. The content itself is also raising doubts. Some users are bothered by the weapon model and Gordon’s hands, which look unusually shiny and somewhat unnatural in the screenshots. Eli Vance also does not appear as many would expect after Half-Life: Alyx. To some, his hair, clothing and posture look more like placeholders or asset-store models.

Still, not everyone is ready to dismiss the screenshots entirely. A few users point out that low detail levels, placeholder models and odd animations are not unusual in raw internal test builds. That means early test footage cannot be completely ruled out. There is also a line of text visible in the lower-left corner of one image. Although the low resolution makes it difficult to read, some users believe they can make out both “HLX” and the date “June 4, 2026.” Build information like this is often shown automatically in development versions to identify internal test builds. However, it would also be easy to add such text to an image afterward.

For now, the screenshots cannot be verified. Unless Valve officially unveils Half-Life 3, they remain little more than an intriguing topic of discussion for the community.