Valve’s HLX Mention Revives Half-Life Speculation

Valve composer and sound designer Mike Morasky mentioned “HLX” during a GameSoundCon panel, prompting renewed speculation that the codename refers to a new Half-Life game. His remark concerned audio technology, and Valve has not confirmed what HLX means or announced a game under that name. During a discussion about Valve’s audio systems, Morasky said Deadlock and HLX each had their own version of HDR. HDR was discussed in the context of managing audio in the company’s games. The comment is the substance of the public reference; it does not establish that HLX is a game, or identify it as Half-Life 3. David Feise, a sound designer who was on the panel, was reported to whisper “nice work” or a similar phrase after Morasky’s mention. Feise later reportedly joked that Morasky had said HLX only once. The exchange added to speculation that the reference was not intended as a public disclosure, but does not clarify what the codename denotes. HLX has been discussed online in connection with datamined material and reports about Valve projects. Some fans and commentators have identified it with a rumored Half-Life sequel, but the panel remark does not verify that interpretation. Valve...