Portal 2 • Eurogamer.net

Influential ex-Valve writer Chet Faliszek joins Surgeon Simulator studio

To direct a "PC action co-op game".

Former Valve scribe Chet Faliszek, best known for his work on the Portal and Left 4 Dead games, along with the Half-Life 2 episodic expansions, has joined Bossa Studios.

Chet Faliszek has left Valve

Portal and Left 4 Dead writer runs out of Steam.

Chet Faliszek has brought his 12 year career at Valve Software to a close, our sister site GamesIndustry.biz has revealed.

Portal writer Erik Wolpaw has left Valve

"You want your freedom? Take it."

Valve writer Erik Wolpaw has left the famous Bellevue, Washington studio as of today.

This Portal-themed HoloLens mod is a triumph

Get ready to never stop thinking with portals.

Someone has managed to make an augmented reality mod that brings Portal's titular device - and its iconic companion cube - into the real world via Microsoft's HoloLens AR headset.

VideoHow Valve found Portal

Here's a thing.

Before Portal, there was another game. Designed by a handful of students at DigiPen Institute of Technology, Narbacular Drop wasn't much to look at: it was brown and buggy and the word 'Narbacular' doesn't actually mean anything at all. But it had something incredible going for it. It had portals.

Portal 2 and Left 4 Dead receive Xbox One backwards compatibility

Along with Flashback, Babel Rising, and Brain Challenge.

Portal 2 and Left 4 Dead have been added to the Xbox One's Xbox One's backwards compatibility list.

Former Valve employee is suing the company for $3.1m

Alleges developer exploited minors for free labour, discriminated against transgender staff.

A jury ruled in favour of defendant Valve on 2nd November 2017, finding the plaintiff was not discriminated against for transgender or disability reasons, nor dismissed for such.

Rocket League gets free Portal DLC tomorrow

Of course there's cake.

Everyone's favourite football car game Rocket League is about to get an infusion of new technology courtesy of Aperture Science.

Valve's virtual reality headset Vive gets "limited release" in 2015

Larger quantities ship Q1 2016.

It looks like most of us will have to wait until early 2016 before we can buy Valve's virtual reality headset the Vive.

Steam hardware pre-orders score free Rocket League and Portal 2

Rocket League coming to SteamOS and Mac after sales success.

If you pre-order any of the Steam hardware devices (Steam controller, Steam Link or Steam Machine) you get free copies of Rocket League and Portal 2.

VideoVideo: The best end songs ever

Sing when you're winning (at video games).

When Lethal Weapon 3 got its cinematic release in 1992, my parents dutifully went along to the cinema to watch it. At the end of the credits, they were delighted to discover, there was one last scene - an easter egg to reward those who watched all those names scroll past on the screen. So began an excruciating family tradition.

VideoVideo: Portal Stories: Mel isn't Portal 3, but it could be

The icing on the cake.

Holy mother of mod, Portal Stories: Mel is awesome. Developed over the course of four years, this fan-made mod for Portal 2 is a standalone game of such quality that it could almost be mistaken for a true sequel to the much-loved series.

Professional-looking mod Portal Stories: Mel is due tomorrow on Steam

Free fan-made expansion offers 6-10 hours of content.

Back in February we covered Portal Stories: Mel, a free Portal 2 mod that looks so refined it could easily be mistaken for an official Valve product. Now that mod is slated for release tomorrow on Steam.

Looks like there will be a Portal level pack for Lego Dimensions

What the Chell?

US retailer Walmart has listed a Portal-themed level pack for Lego Dimensions.

Watch Valve's HTC Vive VR Rezzed developer session

"The future is finally here."

Valve's Chet Faliszek took to the stage at EGX Rezzed to deliver a talk on the HTC Vive, the company's virtual reality offering.

Stunning-looking Portal 2 mod may be the closest we get to Portal 3

12-hour campaign launches free next month.

It looks like Valve isn't hurrying to make a new Portal game, but an upcoming unofficial Portal 2 mod may be the next best thing.

Portal 2 improves brain training more than software designed for that, says science

This was a triumph.

A recent study from Florida State University pitted Portal 2 against a piece of software specifically designed to train one's brain. The result: Portal 2 was more effective at that sort of thing.

Steam Music Player lets you listen to your music while you play

Half-Life and Portal soundtracks DLC going free.

Valve has launched the Steam Music Player, which lets you listen to your music collection while you play games on the digital platform.

Valve-licensed Portal 2 mod doesn't use the portal gun

Aperture Tag is now on sale.

It's no secret that when Valve initially conceived of Portal 2 it didn't have portals. Or at least it didn't have a portal gun. Now, Valve superfans have created their own modded campaign that follows in the footsteps of Valve's bold, yet scrapped, creative exercise with Aperture Tag.

Valve developed the upcoming Portal board game

Publisher Cryptozoic says Valve's prototype required "minimal input".

Recently board game manufacturer and publisher Cryptozoic Entertainment announced that it was working on a Portal board game and that Valve was involved, but it's now been revealed that Valve created the board game and pitched it to Cryptozoic, not the other way around as one might think.

GLaDOS teaches fission and fusion for NASA

Entertaining education.

Kids don't listen to adults any more - but they'll listen to a megalomaniacal artificial intelligence!

Portal 2's Move-based In Motion DLC gets a free co-op campaign

So far only out in North America.

Last autumn developer Sixense built some PlayStation Move-based DLC for Portal 2 entitled In Motion. Now, the studio is adding free DLC to the DLC in the form of an all new co-op campaign called Non-Emotional Manipulation.

"The first anyone had seen publicly of Portal 2 was relayed over this modem from 1987 from my kitchen"

Grr, ARG, it was Adam Foster all along.

In March 2010, Valve updated Portal with a mysterious patch that set fans on a trail of code-cracking and puzzle solving that ultimately led to the announcement of Portal 2.

Valve has been measuring people's sweat while they play games

Ooze weird now?

Valve has been measuring salty sweat oozing from people's pores while they play video games.

J.J. Abrams and Gabe Newell want to collaborate on movies, games

UPDATE: Abrams really is in talks with Valve about Half-Life/Portal movies. "It's as real as anything in Hollywood ever gets."

Update: It looks like this was more than just a gag as J.J. Abrams is actually in talks with Valve about developing movies based on Half-Life and Portal.

Portal fan film director to helm big-screen Y: The Last Man project

New Line signs game fan to direct classic comic conversion.

The director of fan film Portal: No Escape is set to helm the movie version of graphic novel series Y: The Last Man.

GLaDOS voice in new Guillermo del Toro film

Pan's Labyrinth director a fan of Portal.

Hellboy and Pan's Labyrinth director Guillermo del Toro has revealed the first trailer for his new monster movie Pacific Rim, which stars GLaDOS voice actress Ellen McLain as a robot AI.

Portal 2 PC finally gets split-screen co-op

Valve deploys new update, support still alive.

Portal 2 developer Valve has added a new split-screen option for the PC version's co-op mode.

COD Black Ops: Declassified costs �45 on EU PlayStation Store

Plus: Portal 2 DLC, Sonic Racing, NFS: Most Wanted demo.

Call of Duty: Black Ops: Declassified, the colon-filled PlayStation Vita version of Activision's shooter, will be available to download today from the EU PlayStation Store. It costs �44.99.

Portal 2 In Motion PS Move DLC campaign hits EU PSN next week

Costs eight quid.

The Portal 2 In Motion DLC campaign launches on the European PlayStation Network next week, Sony has announced.

Portal 2 In Motion DLC due next week on PlayStation 3

In the US, anyway.

Portal 2's In Motion DLC will launch on 6th November on the US PlayStation Store, Sony has announced.

How do you get a job in the game industry? "Give yourself one," Valve tells us

"It's that easy."

How do you get a job in the game industry? According to Valve, all you have to do is give yourself one.

Valve's first hardware slated for beta next year

Weta makes a nifty Portal turret, too.

Valve is planning to put its first hardware into beta sometime next year, noted Valve employee Jeri Ellsworth in a report by Endgadget.

The hardware division's goal is "to make Steam games more fun to play in your living room." To start with that includes Big Picture Mode, which makes Steam's UI more conducive to browsing with a gamepad on a TV, but eventually it would like to go beyond that and make mouse and keyboard games more accessible to the console crowd.

How it will do this is anyone's guess. Will it be a new hybrid controller, a console, or perhaps a real-life turret gun made by Lord of the Rings special effects gurus Weta? [Shown below.]

They sure aren't pretty.

Valve's definitely building wearable computer hardware, because a New York Times writer went inside the company's Seattle HQ, put on a pair of prototype gaming goggles and tested them for himself.

Portal 2's Chell nearly married a turret

Still Alive inspired by God Hand's end credits.

At some point in Portal 2's development protagonist Chell was slated to marry a turret, Valve announced during a panel at PAX Prime.

Valve "jumping in" to computer hardware space

"We're frustrated by the lack of innovation."

Valve is "frustrated by the lack of innovation in the computer hardware space" - "so we're jumping in".

You can make co-op Portal 2 test chambers now

What's that you say about Half-Life 3?

Valve, fresh from not announcing Half-Life 3 at Gamescom, has released a free PC update for Portal 2's puzzle maker that allows co-op test chambers to be built.

Valve opens Euro office, updates Steam terms

Disallows class action lawsuits, improves individual claims.

Before you can use Steam, you must agree to Steam's terms. And those terms - the Steam Subscriber Agreement and Valve's Privacy Policy - have been updated.

Valve has also opened a new office in Luxembourg to better serve its European audience with. Nice place, Luxembourg - has a population of half-a-million and a capital city named Luxembourg.

The most significant change to the Steam terms concerns taking Valve to court over a dispute.

NASA launches Portal 2 character into orbit

"In spaaaaaaace!"

An anonymous NASA employee has customised a panel for the International Space Station, adorning it with an image of Space Core from Portal 2.

The part was blasted into orbit last Friday aboard a Japanese resupply craft.

It was photographed bearing an image of Space Core, along with his catchphrase: "In spaaaaaaace!".

Portal Lego set goes into review

Get ready to think with Legos.

An official Portal Lego set may be on its way after a fan-made prototype received the 10,000 votes required to be considered for production on the Danish blockmaker's crowdsourced platform Cuusoo.

This means that the set will go into review at the start of the next quarter in September. At this point, a "Lego Jury" comprised of designers, product managers, and other key team members will determine if it's a viable concept. This will be based on criteria such as playability, safety and fit with the Lego brand. This process could take several months.

If it meets Lego's standards and goes into production, it will take several more months while marketing materials, instructions and packaging are manufactured.

Portal Lego set

Steam Summer Sale is now live

You don't need to eat for a month, right?

As rumoured the other day, the Steam Summer Sale is now upon us.

Valve counters EA's Steam sales "cheapen intellectual property" accusation

"If we thought having a 75 per cent sale on Portal 2 would cheapen Portal 2, we wouldn't do it."

Valve has countered EA's accusation that Steam sales "cheapen" intellectual property, saying they in fact benefit games, publishers and gamers.

Last month EA's David DeMartini, who runs rival digital platform Origin, said Steam sales, which often see discounts of up to 75 per cent, "cheapen intellectual property".

Vowing not to copy Steam's popular 75 per cent off sales, DeMartini said: "The game makers work incredibly hard to make this intellectual property, and we're not trying to be Target. We're trying to be Nordstrom."

How "bossless" Valve makes decisions

The Half-Life maker on its "organic gravity well".

Valve has explained how it's able to make decisions despite being "bossless".

Valve: Steam Greenlight will create "fandom"

"It will be fun to be a fan."

Steam Greenlight, Valve's new system for allowing the community to vote on what games get released onto its digital platform, will create fandom, the company has said.

Valve collaborating with Adult Swim on something Team Fortress related

UPDATE: Free hat until 4th July.

Update: It's a hat! Of course it's a hat.

Mind-bending puzzler Perspective emerges from Portal alma mater Digipen

"Can you think with perspective?"

Perspective looks to be an innovative puzzle/platformer from the DigiPen Institute of technology, where the student game inspiring Portal was born.

Valve offers teachers free Portal 2 for classroom use

And explains what kids can learn from it.

Teachers can claim a complimentary PC copy of acclaimed puzzle adventure Portal 2 for use in the classroom, Valve has announced.

Portal 2 DLC announced for PlayStation Move

Are you GLaD?

The PlayStation 3 version of acclaimed Valve puzzler Portal 2 will receive a new slice DLC, designed for use with PlayStation Move.

Portal 2: In Motion offers 20 extra test chambers, previously available with the Razer Hydra motion controller for PC.

PlayStation Move support will be added for the main Portal 2 campaign, too. The motion controls allow players to fire portals, pick up objects and rescale them.

Fei Long, Guile and Chun-Li in Capcom/Valve mash-up.

Ever wondered what would happen if Capcom and Valve got together to do a fantasy Street Fighter x Portal crossover fighting game?

Valve launches Steam remote downloads

Download pre-loads, new releases and latest purchases while out and about.

Valve has launched Steam remote downloads.

The feature, which was in beta, enables Steam users to manage their library of games remotely via the internet. If you leave Steam running on your PC or Mac, you can log into the Steam website or mobile access and download pre-loads, new releases and latest purchases, as soon as they're available. When you're home, your new downloads will be installed and ready to play.

You can do this from the Games list on the Steam Community site, which you can access from a web browser or the Steam mobile app. The Games list will reflect the installation state of your library on that machine. Find your game and hit install to trigger remote download.

Kim Swift offers her take on Employee Handbook leak.

The image of Valve as a manager-less utopia where staff have free rein to do as they please, as painted by its recently leaked Employee Handbook, is a little wide of the mark, according to former Portal lead designer Kim Swift.

Swift denies pressure to top Portal with Quantum Conundrum

And insists she hasn't finished Portal 2.

Portal lead designer Kim Swift insists she isn't feeling the pressure to top the classic Valve puzzler with her new game Quantum Conundrum.

Fans make thousands of new Portal 2 maps in days

Valve having a weekend Steam sale to celebrate.

In a couple of days, more than 35,000 maps have been made by fans for Portal 2, Valve's discovered.

Portal 2 sales top four million

PC level editor available from today.

Genius puzzle sequel Portal 2 has now sold over four million units worldwide across PC, Mac and console, developer Valve has revealed via a new NeoGamr interview.

Its predecessor also managed four million, not counting Steam sales, surely putting the series life-to-date tally near the 10 million mark.

The news coincides with the release of the new Perpetual Testing Initiative DLC for the PC and Mac versions of the game.

Not a lie.

Graphical artist Alex Zemke, whose CV includes work on Killzone 3, Uncharted 2 and 3, SOCOM 4 and various CG-animated films, is creating an animated Portal short.

New Portal 2 DLC announced for Mac, PC

Perpetual Testing Initiative level editor due next month.

New Portal 2 DLC that lets you create and share your own levels launches on Mac and PC from 8th May, developer Valve has announced.

Titled Perpetual Testing Initiative, it's a free download featuring a "simplified puzzle maker" that lets you publish levels to Steam Workshop where other players can browse, play and vote on them.

Valve hasn't announced a console release for the expansion.

"Please, no rumours about Steam glasses being announced at E3."

Valve is working on augmenting reality with wearable computing.

Valve job ad adds weight to Steam Box rumour

"Help us invent whole new gaming experiences."

A new Valve job advertisement has added weight to the recent rumour that the Half-Life maker is working on a Steam Box product.

Portal 2 wins Best Game BAFTA

Skyrim goes home empty-handed, British studios win big.

Portal 2 won Best Game at last night's British Academy Video Game Awards. Valve's comedy puzzle adventure was also the biggest winner of the night, taking home three gongs, the others being for Design and Story.

An interview with comedian Dara O Briain

"I would like to be able to fondle the dragon by wearing a glove."

Dara O Briain is the fast talking Irish comedian known to us for his passion for video games, a hobby he sends up frequently during his renowned stand-up routines. O Briain also hosts satirical telly show Mock the Week, and this evening he'll host the GAME British Academy Video Game Awards (BAFTA) - a post he's filled every year since 2009.

Valve: no Steam Box "any time soon"

Coomer's PC a test unit for Steam Big Picture Mode.

Valve has poured cold water on the rumour that it is making a Steam Box console.

Gabe Newell is worth $1.5 billion

And Valve is worth over $3 billion.

Valve boss Gabe Newell is worth an eye-watering $1.5 billion.

The Portal 2 that never was

Wheatley's death, the other spheres, the original ending and co-op story, competitive multiplayer and a Garfield parody. Spoilers!

Warning! Portal 2 spoilers below.

2012 BAFTA Video Game Award nominations list

And the awards could go to...

BAFTA has announced its shortlist for the 2012 British Academy Video Games Awards and Batman: Arkham City and L.A. Noire lead the pack with eight nominations each.

AIAS 2011 Awards winners revealed

Skyrim dominates the evening.

The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim was crowned Game of the Year at this year's video gaming Oscars, the AIAS Interactive Achievement Awards.

Valve makes Portal 2 Space Core mod for Skyrim

Voiced, it seems, by Nolan North.

Brilliant developer Valve has made a Portal 2 Space Core mod for brilliant game Skyrim.

AIAS 2011 nominees for 'video game Oscars' revealed

Uncharted 3 most nominated.

The AIAS shortlist for the 15th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards - i.e. the game Oscars - has been revealed.

The most pirated PC, Wii, 360 games of 2011

Can you guess what it is yet?

The most pirated PC game of 2011 wasn't Modern Warfare 3, Battlefield 3 or Skyrim - it was Crysis 2.

Eurogamer's Game of the Year 2011

Hole in one.

Was 2011 a great year for gaming or wasn't it? Regardless of where you stand on that particular debate, it's been responsible for some of the medium's finest efforts. Going through our Games of 2011 has provided some heartening reading, and the likes of Bastion, Quarrel and Clash of Heroes HD go to show that when it comes to "Actual New Games" we've had our fair share over the last 12 months.

Developers' Games of 2011

Levine! Molyneux! Jaffe! Garriott!

We've had our say. You've had your say. But what about the people who made the games? What were their favourites of the year just ended? Yes, it's that time of year again, when we pester our favourite creators for their reflections and then watch them show us up with their witty and insightful explanations.

Games of 2011: Portal 2

For science.

You can tell everything about Portal 2 from the lack of cake. There's one gag in the whole game, and it's a fakeout - a door marked 'cake dispensary' that, if approached, falls flat on the ground. Portal was too perfect and its punishment was death by meme, the inane chanting that transforms a joke into a catchphrase. Portal 2 doesn't preach to the converted and retread past glories - the cake doesn't matter. And nor does much else.

Saturday Soapbox: Was 2011 a Vintage Year?

It may have lacked innovation, but the breadth of experiences made 2011 a year to savour.

A couple of weeks back, Oli told of how he spoke to a friend who believed that 2011 was the finest year for gaming since 2001 - and then promptly disagreed, saying how this year, for all that it's offered in terms of excellence, hasn't really offered anything particularly new. Games are now bigger and better, yes, but that heady thrill that defined gaming's last golden age is now gone.

Valve: piracy a "non-issue" for Steam

Perhaps Gabe Newell along.

Valve co-founder and CEO Gabe Newell believes piracy stems not from price, but from convenience. And as Steam boasts fast access to a dizzying selection of games, so piracy has become "basically a non-issue" for Valve.

Portal 2 map editor DLC coming

Due out early next year.

A second batch of Portal 2 DLC arrives early next year, developer Valve has announced.

EU PlayStation Store update 5th October

Crysis! NBA Jam! Portal 2 DLC!

PC shooter Crysis fires onto the PlayStation Store this week. It's a polished port of the original's single-player campaign, available for �15.99.

Arcade slamdunker NBA Jam: On Fire Edition also courts your wallet this week, while new and free Portal 2 DLC continues the adventures of co-op robots P-Body and and Atlus in a new two-player test track.

There's still no sign of Mortal Kombat: Arcade Kollection - now over a month late - and Castlevania: Harmony of Despair, expected last week.

Portal 2 Peer Review DLC is 1.37GB

Out now on XBLA.

The Portal 2 Peer Review DLC has been released on Xbox Live Arcade.

It's free.

It measures 1.37GB.

Portal 2 DLC release date

Peer Review goes live next week.

The first set of free Portal 2 DLC, titled Peer Review, launches on PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on 4th October, developer Valve has announced.

The pack continues the story of Aperture bots P-Body and Atlas as they make their way through a new co-op test track, once again trying to outwit GLaDOS.

On top of that, there's a new single player and co-op Challenge Mode, and leaderboards are now live too.

Steam Trading feature goes live

Portal 2, TF2 and Spiral Knights supported.

Steam has officially launched its new Trading feature today following last month's open beta.

Portal 2 PC outperformed console versions

But vice versa for Left 4 Dead.

Portal 2 was more successful on the PC than it was on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, Valve boss Gabe Newell has revealed.

Valve wants Steamworks in CS: GO XBLA

Would love Xbox Live restriction relaxed.

Valve wants the Xbox Live Arcade version of upcoming shooter Counter-Strike: Global Offensive to feature Steamworks integration.

Valve's Gabe Newell

CS: GO, Steam, Portal 2 DLC and Half-Life 3.

Gabe Newell sits proudly inside Valve's Gamescom booth knowing his company's latest game, Dota 2, has a fantastic chance of being a huge hit. Outside, hundreds are watching it being played live in a tournament with a huge $1 million grand prize. Online, thousands are poring over every detail. Things are going well.

Free Portal 2 DLC out next month

New test chambers incoming.

The free batch of Portal 2 DLC announced earlier this year arrives next month, Valve has confirmed.

Crysis 2 racks up three million sales

Dead Space 2, Dragon Age II pass 2m.

FPS sequel Crysis 2 has now sold in three million copies worldwide, publisher EA has announced.

Portal 2, Dead Space 2 and Dragon Age II, meanwhile, have all broken the two million mark, while FIFA 11 nears 15 million units and Battlefield: Bad Company 2 nine million.

The numbers come from EA's fiscal Q1 earnings report, which saw the publisher log non-GAAP net revenue of $524 million, down slightly from $539 million this time last year. Digital revenue was picked out as a highlight though, increasing 11 per cent to $209 million.

Brink dev bellows Portal praises

"Greatest" design "we're ever likely to see."

Few people will praise Portal higher than lead Brink writer Ed Stern.

Valve picks new Portal 2 PC maps

Summer contest winners announced.

PC owners of physics-based first-person platformer Portal 2 can now download Valve's pick of the best community-made maps.

Portal 2 tops three million sales

Can Valve sequel match original's tally?

Portal 2 has sold in excess of three million copies, developer Valve has announced.

According to Joystiq, studio president Gabe Newell made the announcement at the Games For Change event in New York earlier today.

He didn't mention whether that number takes into account Steam sales as well as PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, but he'd certainly have access to that data.

VideoPortal 2 DLC for the Razer Hydra

Extra levels for the new controller.

Elusive PC Portal 2 DLC arrives

Razer roof.

There are 10 new levels available for Portal 2, but only if you have a Razer Hydra PC controller.

Valve to attend gamescom

DOTA 2? Portal 2 DLC? Half-Life 3?

After a no-show at E3 last week, Portal 2 maker Valve has confirmed it will present at August's show gamescom.

Cheap This Week - 15/06/11

Heavy Rain! Killzone! Portal 2!

Get your payment method of choice at the ready, for here's another bountiful selection of cheap games that are worth your attention. This week we've got a few of the best games from the last year or so getting their first big discounts, and this week's hot releases at an affordable price.

Portal 2, Dead or Alive crack Japan chart

But hardware sales continue freefall.

Dead or Alive: Dimensions and Portal 2 were among the new entries on this week's Japanese software chart.

Valve offers Portal 2 soundtrack for free

First of three downloads available now.

Valve is making the Portal 2 soundtrack available for free via the game's website.

VideoPortal 8-8 walkthrough

Portal 2: Top 10 Test Chambers

Brain training.

Which one was it for you? Most of those who've made it through to the end of Valve's brilliant sequel will have encountered at least one test chamber whose solution remained so unfathomably elusive as to induce genuine despair.

Portal 2 in orphan insult row

Adoptive parent "shocked at insensitivity".

A US news station has accused Valve of insensitivity over orphan jokes in Portal 2's script.

NPD: Mortal Kombat beats Portal 2 in US

Xbox 360 takes hardware crown.

Mortal Kombat has unseated Pok�mon Black/White at the top of the monthly US sales chart.

Merchant: Portal 2 role was "exhausting"

"I can never do this again."

Recording his dialogue for Portal 2 was one of the most exhausting jobs Stephen Merchant has ever taken on, so says The Office co-creator.

Portal 2 beta Authoring Tools released

Make your own maps, skins, models, sounds.

Didn't you find Portal 2 maps challenging enough? Well now you can make your own - Valve has released beta Authoring Tools for Portal 2.

As well as single-player and co-op maps, you can use the tools to create skins, models, sound effects and music.

Valve apparently used similar tools to make the full Portal 2 game.

Valve not giving up on single player

Gabe Newell promises "single player plus".

Valve boss Gabe Newell has clarified recent reports that Portal 2 would be the developer's final "isolated single-player title", insisting that just isn't the case.

UK Top 40: Zumba Fitness ousts Portal 2

Steel Diver sinks without trace.

Zumba Fitness has toppled Portal 2 to regain the UK all format chart's coveted top spot.

Portal 2 gets fresh PC update

Valve patches up bugs and system crashes.

A new update for the PC version of Portal 2 hit Steam over the weekend.

No major changes have been made but a number of crash-causing bugs have been squashed and a few localisation issues ironed out.

Here are the full patch notes, which should take effect next time you boot up your Steam client:

Free Portal 2 DLC detailed

New test chambers, challenge mode due.

Acclaimed first-person puzzler Portal 2 gets new DLC "this summer", developer Valve has announced, and you won't have to pay a penny for it.

Portal 2 DLC out this summer

Valve confirms more content cooking.

Completed Portal 2 already? Not to worry. New additions to the title are being assembled for launch this summer.

Is Portal 2 Valve's last single-player game?

Multiplayer-focused future hinted at.

Portal 2 is Valve's final dedicated single-player game, according to comments allegedly made by the studio to GameTrailer TV's Geoff Keighley.

Portal 2: "Let's make Caddyshack"

Erik Wolpaw on writing the great video game comedy.

SPOILER WARNING! This interview is about the plot, characters and script of Portal 2, so it necessarily contains spoilers right through to the game's ending. You should wait until you've completed the game to read it (which is why we've held publication back until today).

Digital FoundryFace-Off: Portal 2

Through the looking glass.

Xbox 360

PlayStation 3

Disc Size

Digital FoundryPortal 2 360/PC Face-Off Comparison

Source running on Microsoft console and Microsoft OS.

Digital FoundryPortal 2 360/PS3 Face-Off Comparison

Is the PS3 version really the best console SKU?

Digital FoundryPortal 2 PC/PS3 Face-Off Comparison

Computer and Console go head-to-head.

Digital FoundryPortal 2 PS3/360 Performance Analysis

Valve's first cross-platform project compared.

Portal 2 PC patch released

Valve plugs a few holes.

A new update for the PC and Mac versions of Portal 2 is now live on Steam, offering a number of bug fixes.

The patch, which will be applied automatically when you restart your Steam client, smooths over a few glitches and makes a couple of minor gameplay tweaks.

Here's the full list of changes:

GAME selling PC Portal 2 right now

"Market reaction" to Valve's Steam release.

Pop down to your local GAME or gamestation and you'll be able to buy the PC version of Portal 2, Eurogamer can reveal.

Portal sells nearly four million

Excluding Steam.

Hours after releasing Portal 2 on Steam, creator Valve has announced predecessor Portal has sold close to four million units.

But Portal has likely sold substantially more copies. As GameSpot reports, the four million figure excludes digital download sales from Steam.

Portal launched in 2007 as part of the superb The Orange Box compilation.

Portal 2 Metacritic user score pounded

Mutiny at DLC prices, game length, ARG.

Despite bringing in some of the highest review scores of the year so far, the PC version of Portal 2 is taking an absolute battering on its Metacritic user score page.

Portal 2 out now on Steam worldwide

Valve digitally delivers.

You can play the PC and Mac versions of Portal 2 two days before launch in UK shops by buying it from Steam.

VideoPortal 2 - first 15 minutes

Aperture Science welcomes Eurogamer back.

VideoPortal 2 co-op - first 15 mins

Eurogamer puzzles the first levels out.

Out This Week - 22/04/11

Portal 2! Mortal Kombat! Op Flash!

It's a hard time to be a gamer. Marvellous temperatures outside and a small flotilla of incoming bank holidays call you away from your gaming device(s) of choice. What else could herald one of the busiest weeks of game releases so far this year?

Portal 2

The sound of science.

Portal is perfect. Valve's 2007 puzzle adventure � a short story about escape, in which the player must solve a series of spatial riddles with a gun that shoots doors � has a ruthless clarity to it, an economy of form and expression, that few games can match.

Its creators took one fantastic idea and developed it exactly as far as it needed to go and no further. They teased you with a premise that mocks your status as a lab rat running through their devious maze. They gave that mockery a cool, cruel and bitterly dry voice in GLaDOS, the arch AI that keeps you company in the game's pristine prison cells.

And then they lifted the curtain, just an inch, and let you look behind it. They almost surreptitiously slipped a neat parable of a story past you, sealing it with a punchline so resounding it knocks you back in your seat.

Play indie games, get PC Portal 2 early

Get stuck into the Potato Sack now.

Want to unlock Portal 2 on Steam ahead of its published 22nd April launch date? Then you'd better get stuck into the Potato Sack indie bundle.

Portal 2 Steam release today?

Aperture countdown teases possibility.

A countdown by fictional Portal 2 company Aperture Science ticks to zero today, at 5pm UK time.

Valve outs PS3 Portal 2 Steam features

PS3/PC co-op requires Steam account.

You will need a Steam account for the full Portal 2 experience on PlayStation 3, Valve has revealed.

VideoNew Portal 2 trailer puts the boot in

Physics-flaunting Aperture tech revealed.

Valve reveals Portal 2 artwork hoard

Concept designs and cover art released.

VideoPortal 2 clip touts turret tech.

"Just try and get close to that baby."

VideoPortal 2 trailer will raise a smile

EA debuts brand new teaser.

Beware: gratuitous robot cruelty within.

VideoValve unveils first Portal 2 TV ad

"We're going to have fun with science."

Valve launches Steam Guard

Do a Gabe and tell us your password.

Portal 2 maker Valve has officially launched Steam Guard.

Steam Guard, which had been in beta, blocks any attempt to access a protected account from an unrecognised computer and is designed to add a layer of protection to your games.

It works by sending a verification email to the your registered email address that must be actioned should a computer attempt access.

Why Chet Faliszek is Valve's Mr Awesome

"I walk around the hall with my iron fist."

On Valve's website sits a profile page, and on that profile page sits an entry for Left 4 Dead writer Chet Faliszek. It reads: "We are all still trying to figure out exactly what it is that Chet does at Valve, but at the very least he occupies office space on the 11th floor as self-proclaimed Mr. Awesome."

Will Steamworks come to Xbox 360?

Portal 2 PS3 features Valve's "first step".

The PlayStation 3 version of upcoming first-person puzzler Portal 2 is the first on Sony's console to support features from Steamworks. But what about the Xbox 360? Will Steamworks ever arrive alongside an Xbox 360 game?

Portal 2 exclusive interview

Wormhole your way in.

Aperture Science Testing Game

"Hello and welcome to the Aperture Science Computer-Aided Enrichment Center. We hope your brief detention in the relaxation vault was a pleasant one.

"Your specimen has been processed and on April 22nd 2011 testing will commence via the video game "Portal 2". Before then however, we encourage you to enhance your Portal skills with our testing device below.

How Valve Opened Up Portal 2

Chet Faliszek and Erik Wolpaw help us think with portals.

When Gabe Newell asked Chet Faliszek and Erik Wolpaw of Old Man Murray fame to come work at Valve, they of course answered the call - the developer was about to ship Half-Life 2.

Valve insists all Portal 2s are the same

But PS3 version "one to get" for co-op fans.

Valve Software has insisted that, when it comes to content, all versions of upcoming first-person puzzler Portal 2 are exactly the same.

Valve shows latest Portal 2 screenshots

Chell be coming round the mountain.

Big Picture Mode brings Steam to tellys

Controller support and TV navigation, too.

Steam is about to hit living room tellys, Valve has announced.

Why Portal 2 doesn't support PS Move

Valve speaks.

Last week Valve's brain-bending first-person puzzler Portal 2 had PlayStation Move support. It was a story that set the internet alight � Valve superstar writer Chet Faliszek had told the German PlayStation Blog Portal 2 would have "complete PlayStation Move support", although the feature "isn't fully integrated yet".

Portal 2 to have "complete" Move support

But it's not "fully integrated" yet.

Portal 2 will have "complete PlayStation Move support", Valve has declared, although the feature "isn't fully integrated yet".

VideoPortal 2 video has Valentines sorted

Aperture Science creates gift guide.

Steam owns half PC download market

Is "tremendously profitable" says Newell.

Digital download platform Steam controls half to 70 per cent of the $4 billion market for downloaded PC games, according to a new report.

Portal 2

Holesome.

Although the developer will always be known as the house of Half-Life, it's Portal that increasingly looks like the quintessential Valve game. It's both clinical and funny, like a shaggy dog story told by Stanley Kubrick, and its complex folds wrap geography and narrative together so tightly that they become two sides of the same object. Its ingenious puzzles are peculiarly action-packed, and if Gordon Freeman's adventures served to make realistic physics an indispensable part of modern videogames, the GLaDOS saga shows you the fun that can be had with entirely bizarre physics, too.

Multiple endings confirmed for Portal 2

Plus, cross-platform user-generated levels.

Portal 2 will offer two different endings, one for single play and one for co-op play, developer Valve has confirmed.

Speaking to Videogamer, the title's writer Chet Falliszek promised, "Both sets of credits [will feature something special], because we've got two credits."

He went on to explain that finishing the game should be well within reach of most players.

Portal 2 PS3, Steam cross-platform play

PS3 version unlocks free Steam copy.

The PlayStation 3 version of Valve's upcoming first-person puzzler Portal 2 features cross-platform play and chat with the Steam PC and Mac versions.

New Coulton song confirmed for Portal 2

Still Alive composer pens new tune.

The composer of Still Alive, the infectious ditty that closed out Portal, has written a new tune for the impending sequel.

Songwriter Jonathan Coulton confirmed its existence with the following tease on his Twitter feed: "Closing the doors. If this plane goes down, the Portal 2 song goes with it. It is in my pocket..."

No further news regarding in what capacity the tune will feature, but you won't have to wait too long to find out. Valve's much anticipated sequel to its 2007 puzzler drops out of the ceiling on 22nd April.

Exclusive Portal 2 levels for Razer Hydra

Valve backs new PC motion controller.

PC users who pick up the new Razer Hydra motion controller will be able to play exclusive Portal 2 content unavailable in console versions of the game.

According to Joystiq, Razer has teamed up with Valve to offer a Portal 2 bundle including the new controller, the game and additional levels built specifically for the new device.

What, you may ask, is the Razer Hydra? Well, it's a new motion control system developed by Sixense. You play with two wands, both with thumb sticks. Instead of using a camera to track your movements, a la PlayStation Move, the Hydra uses a small base station to create an electromagnetic field with a six foot radius.

Electronic Arts picks up Portal 2

Will publish it in shops.

EA Partners, the division of EA that publishes third-party games, has picked up Valve's mind-bending first-person puzzle game Portal 2.

VideoValve teases Portal 2 co-op

Orange and Blue GLaD to see you.

Valve announces Portal 2 delay

The date was a lie.

Portal 2 will not make it's previously reported release date of 9th February, developer Valve has announced.

The sequel to its widely adored first person puzzler has been pushed back until 22nd April 2011.

Major bummer, right? Well, Valve is more of a glass-half-full sort.

Not all gamers want "stress" of multiplayer.

There's still a huge market for single player-only games, developer Valve has insisted.

VideoPortal 2 co-op fully revealed

Right back Aperture.

VideoPortal 2 co-op teaser

It takes orange and blue, baby.

VideoPortal 2 gameplay trailer

Laser eyes on this new footage.

Valve reveals Portal 2 screens

Companion gloop.

EA in talks with Valve to sign Portal 2

"You earn their business every single time."

EA is talking to Valve about publishing rights for first-person puzzler Portal 2.

Valve gives Portal 2 a release date

Stephen Merchant to vocalise.

Valve has reportedly said Portal 2 will be released on Wednesday, 9th February 2011. The game is in development for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360.

Confirmation comes from gamescom, where CVG also heard that The Office co-creator Stephen Merchant will lend his vocals to the game. He'll bring the Buddy Sphere to life.

Portal 2 made waves at E3 when Valve boss Gabe Newell confirmed the game for PS3. He thanked Sony for not "repeatedly punching [him] in the face" because of his past comments about the console.

VideoPortal 2 also has Propulsion gel

An old trick made new.

VideoPortal 2's Repulsion gel

Bounce around!

VideoPortal 2 encourages pneumatic diversity

Equal opportunity death by suckage.

VideoPortal 2: Thermal Discouragement

If you can't stand the heat, pick it up and move it.

VideoPortal 2's excursion funnels bewilder and delight

"Churning tunnels of liquid asbestos."

VideoPortal 2's Faithplates

Have a little faith in GLaDOS and Aperture.

VideoPortal 2 gameplay footage

Looks like GLaDOS has learned a few new tricks.

Portal 2

Turrets syndrome.

Everyone's smart at Valve. The designers are smart, the art teams are smart, and the lady behind the reception desk can answer the phone in Latin or Aramaic if she has to - trust me, I've made her do it. Most of all, though, the games are smart, and the smartest of them all is Portal: chic, goofy, devious, practical Portal.

VideoPortal 2 unveiled at Sony's E3 conf

The lack of announcement is a lie.

Portal 2 coming to PlayStation 3

Due out in 2011.

Valve Software has announced that Portal 2 will be coming to PlayStation 3.

Portal 2 due out next year

New "ethics-review-panel-supervised" date.

Valve has announced that Portal 2 won't be released until 2011.

Valve E3 reveal "isn't Ep 3" - Newell

Boss quells Half-Life 2 speculation.

Valve boss Gabe Newell has mailed fan site HalfLife2.net to say that the developer's E3 reveal is not Half-Life 2: Episode 3.

E3 Portal 2 event replaced by "surprise"

Valve ready to unveil Episode Three?

Valve has announced, via a quirky email, that the Portal 2 E3 event has been replaced by "a surprise".

VideoAperture Science motivational video

She's still not even angry.

Hidden Portal 2 message deciphered

Valve GDC BSOD joke points to E3.

Valve's Portal-inspired blue screen of death, which popped up during Gabe Newell's GDC Awards speech last night, had a hidden message.

Steam for Mac announced, detailed

Launching in April with all Valve's games.

Valve has confirmed its not entirely secret plans to bring Steam to the Mac, and revealed the extent to which the Apple platform now weighs on the studio's thinking.

Steam will launch on Mac in April, and Valve's games - including Counter-Strike, the Half-Life series, Left 4 Dead 2, Portal and Team Fortress 2 will be ready then too.

But Valve will also make its future games available simultaneously on Windows and Mac, starting with Portal 2 this Christmas.

Portal 2 co-op, story, gameplay details

GameStop and Game Informer blow lid.

Portal 2 features a separate two-player co-operative campaign, playable over the internet, and new gameplay features include physics-changing paint.

That's according to various reports and scans that have popped up since Friday's confirmation that Portal 2 is due out this year on PC and Xbox 360. According to Game Informer's latest preview, it's also heading to Mac.

A GameStop product page filled in some of the blanks. "Portal 2 introduces a cast of dynamic new characters, a host of fresh puzzle elements, and a much larger set of devious test chambers," it explained.

Portal 2 due out this Christmas

On PC and Xbox 360.

Update: Valve's Doug Lombardi has told Eurogamer that the game's due for PC and Xbox 360.