Half Life 3 Reference Dota 2 Code

By now most gamers have grown tired of the Half-Life 3 confirmed rumors and the subtle teases by Valve staff members. They hope that Half-Life 3 might eventually become a reality, but are prepared for disappointment as Valve focuses on properties like DOTA 2 and Team Fortress 2.

Nevertheless, this latest rumor is sure to draw some eyes, if only because it’s Half-Life 3 related. Or rather, it may not be Half-Life 3 related, but it’s certainly strong enough for some people to make the connection. So, before we get into a discussion of whether Half-Life 3 is real or not, it’s best to treat the following information with a huge grain of salt. Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s focus on the news.

Buried somewhere in the latest UGC tools for DOTA 2 is a reference to “Game HL3.” It’s unclear what exactly the line of code is for, let alone what it could mean, but those who are curious to see it for themselves can find it in their files here:

%STEAM_HOME%\SteamApps\common\dota 2 beta\dota_ugc\game\bin\win32\tools\model_editor.dll

Obviously, the use of HL3 with the qualifier “game” is sure to draw plenty of attention, if only because it’s Valve. The publisher may be more intimately connected with gamers than most, but they also love to tease them whenever the opportunity presents itself. Gabe Newell in particular seems to enjoy the mystery box associated with Half-Life 3 and whether or not the highly anticipated sequel will ever get an official debut.

Half Life 3 DOTA 2 Code

There’s no question that when/if Half-Life 3 is revealed it will be one of the biggest gaming news stories in the last decade. Gabe Newell taking the stage during Sony’s E3 press conference to announce Portal on PS3 was one thing, but seeing Gordon Freeman’s triumphant return is another. The Half-Life fandom is so ravenous for new content that they’ve taken to creating their own fan art, fan videos, and even unofficial spin-offs in the hopes it might convince Valve it’s time.

However, whether it is or isn’t time, it’s unlikely that this code in DOTA 2’s tools is little more than a clever ruse by Valve. In fact, it may simply be a line of code that requires hl3 and actually has nothing to do with the series. Still, the fact that we are even talking about the code speaks volumes about Half-Life’s popularity.

Do you think Half-Life 3 will be revealed this year? How often do you think Valve teases fans?

Source: NeoGAF