Half-Life 2: Episode 2 underway

By Tom Bramwell Published 21 February, 2006

Valve confirms its existence.

Valve's reportedly confirmed that the second in its episodic series of Half-Life 2 expansion is already underway.

Episode 2 "has been in development for some time" according to designer/engineer Robin Walker, speaking to CVG, although he declined to elaborate.

It's not entirely surprising of course - with Half-Life 2: Episode 1 (previously known as Aftermath) due out on April 24th, focus is likely to shift to future projects sooner - but it's the surest sign yet the Episode 1 is genuinely nearing completion.

Half-Life 2: Episode 1 is due out through Steam on April 24th priced $19.99, with a boxed version due through Valve's publishing partner EA around the same time.

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (34) Latest comment 6 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • ChrisOTR #1 6 years ago

    I'm really not too excited about this. I know plenty of people who are though! :)

  • Eldritch #2 6 years ago

    Is Half-Life: Source worth the $9,95 on Steam?

  • Gyruss #3 6 years ago

    Probably only worth it if you've never played Half Life.

  • Talha #4 6 years ago

    So that means we can see Episode 2 right around the PS3 launch time!! ("Take THAT, console idiots";).

    In 2008, that is. ;-)

  • Eldritch #5 6 years ago

    Okay, I really never played Half-Life. (C:

  • space_ace #6 6 years ago

    forcing myself not to think "vaporware", i must admit i really enjoyed the half-life 1 extra episodes.

  • UncleLou #7 6 years ago

    Cool.

  • tonynibbles #8 6 years ago

    _Definately_ buy Half Life then, kiddo!

    I can't wait for Episode 1. Though I still want to call it Aftermath.
    Infact, I hope it is called Half Life 2: Episode 1: Aftermath

  • bunglebonce #9 6 years ago

    When they say they've already been working on Ep 2 for a while, does that mean that they've just decided to cut Aftermath in the relevant portions?

  • Machiavel #10 6 years ago

    Tried to reinstall HL2 last weekend to test out my new widescreen. Wouldn't install from the disk - from the technical forums learnt that a particular new version of Steam was needed to install. After all that, still wouldn't install from the disk, a missing file in the cab purportedly... And there was I willing to wait for all the updated crap to be downloaded as well.

    Gave up - hoorah!

  • TheMoonRat #11 6 years ago

    They said a long time ago that there would be more episodic content; so I doubt they have cut Aftermath; more of (IMO) delaying releasing Aftermath until the future episodes are also nearer completion so that they can be released at a more regulated time intervals rathar than "when its done".

  • Moonprince #12 6 years ago

    Half life source isnt worth the money. Its not half life in source, if you get my meaning. There's a team thats reproducing the whole of hl1 into source though.. ugh this isnt working.

    Don't buy it

  • Tyronne #13 6 years ago

    The mod thats being made in source of half life looks better,think its called dark masa or something.

  • Arganoid #14 6 years ago

    I seriously can't believe they still haven't realised that calling the first expansion pack "Half Life 2: Episode One" doesn't make sense.

  • Xerx3s #15 6 years ago

    Meh, your better off spending that 8 € on HL1. Its much better imo.

  • KTroopA #16 6 years ago

    4-6 hours of gametime.

    oooh yeah...

  • Sko #17 6 years ago

    I rather liked the commentaries they did on that tech demo. I wonder if they'll do anything like that again.

    *pushes glasses up nose, in true geek cliche fashion*

  • smirny #18 6 years ago

    surely the previously titled aftermath would technically be half-life 2: episode 2, what with the existance of half-life 2...?

  • smoison #19 6 years ago

    So JUST after they decide not to have ONE expansion called Aftermath, they magically name it "Episode" and you will now be able to get episode 1&2 soon.

    What they haven't told you is Aftermath was cut into Episode 1 & 2 (Hence why 2 is "Well under way";) and that this way you pay TWICE for ONE expansion.

    I say FUCK OFF, STEAM SUCKS, and it has pushed me to emule everything from Valve.

  • Sko #20 6 years ago

    Yeah, I kinda get the feeling you would have found an excuse to do that no matter what, smoison.

  • jack_klugman #21 6 years ago

    Am I the only person genuinely excited about episodic content?

  • smoison #22 6 years ago

    yes

  • smelly #23 6 years ago

    smoison : They've always said from day 1 that they intended to have lots of mission disks and aftermath was going to be the first of many.

    Looks to me like all theyve done it changed the name to make it less confusing for the consumer.

    But then i'm not a conspiracy theorist who believes everyone who makes games is out to get me in some way.

  • smoison #24 6 years ago

    LOL!

    Ohh they're com'in all right!

  • CargoCult #25 6 years ago

    ... And in other news, the second MINERVA map is very near completion!

    ...

    But I'm bundling it in with the final bits of Metastasis, which are coming along rather nicely. Something of a grand adventure with several maps (most likely four) - the sheer confusion as to the approach should come clear when you play it... ;-)

  • Dynamize #26 6 years ago

    Wonder if they'll dust off Adrian Sheppard for one of these outings.

  • matrim83 #27 6 years ago

    Hehe Valve are going the way of their distributor EA. Get ready for Half life 2006-2011.

    In all seriousness if this one has improved AI I'll consider it or else I'll pass.

  • Talha #28 6 years ago

    I hate episodic content. Specifically, downloadable episodic conent. For me that stinks of worrisome downloads, uncertain installations, no possibility of backup, and long waits. I like my games packaged and in some material form, because I have, you know, PAID for them. I don't like it that all I am getting in return for a wad of money is a few gigabytes of data that will go away with the first hard disk crash. I LIKE PACKAGED GOODS.

    But then, I also don't like online gaming that much. That makes me old, OLD, right?

  • Genji #29 6 years ago

    @Talha

    YOU'RE LIVING IN THE PAST, MAAAAN. GET WITH THE TIMES, MAAAAN.

    /remembers when games still had manuals

    /hugs his Fallout manual

  • Talha #30 6 years ago

    @Genji: But past is a rather nice place to be, innit? I am simply hoping that this inexorable march towards online-only gaming and download-only selling stops. At least until I am alive. Then you guys do whatever you want, MAAAAAN.

  • Genji #31 6 years ago

    Hey, I bought HL2 at retail, you know. The instruction manual was a whole page long, which was more than I expected.

  • Talha #32 6 years ago

    @Genji: Yes you are right, I loved that manual too. See, everyone now sticks things up on the internet, no one really cares how the game feels when it reaches your hands. Call me old fashioned, I still like to touch what I buy.

  • Ryuken #33 6 years ago

    Joy, the doors for less content are now definitely open. If there is any similar complaint to all shooters, then it is the playlength. This is a move in the wrong direction, maybe an understandable salvation for smaller devs/pubs but as usual the big ones follow right away to make more money themselves with an excuse that everyone talks sweet about it and that it is the future. Totally fubar and not the kind of 'progression' these games or even simple expansions need. In the end they make us pay twice for the same amount of work they would have put into one full-blown addon.

  • Talha #34 6 years ago

    @Ryuken: You are SO right. Not long ago the acceptable length for a shooter used to be 15 hours. Witness any of the greats from Far Cry to HL2 to Doom. Then came this next wave, including CoD2 and FEAR, and suddenly we are expected to settle for sub-10-hour duration, and to crank up the difficulty all the way to avoid the shock for having paid 50 quid for something you finished on a weekend. And along comes BLACK - in at a freaking 6-8 hours.

    It is hideous, really. I know that despite the shrinking length the effort being put into games is escalating, but even then, I don't think it is THAT hard to create more levels from what you've already built. I guess that is where unreasonable release schedules come in.