Many gamers are aware that Valve doesn't make third installments in any of its series, but Portal co-writer Erik Wolpaw has a theory about why that may be. With Half-Life 3 being one of the most overdue entries in gaming, with the story being left on a cliffhanger at the end of 2007's "Episode Two," the developer's reputation for not making threequels has become a meme over the years. As time marches on, many are convinced that Gabe Newell and his team will never make game number three in any of its franchises.

However, with the RTX version of Portal arriving on December 8, not to mention whispers of Valve possibly working on some new projects, there will be renewed interest in discussing the possibility of a third installment in any of the studio's back catalog. One thing that many have pondered over the years is why the developer seems to stop at two games, and one person has a theory that sounds pretty solid.

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In a recent interview with YouTube channel Did You Know Gaming, writer Erik Wolpaw, who's worked on a number of Valve titles including both Portal games and the expansions for Half-Life, says that one thing that could be preventing threequels is the staff at Valve getting "sucked into other stuff." However, a more plausible reason, which begins around the 12:41 mark of the video, is that people working at the studio will look back at the "errors" in a game they've helped develop. This will then spur them to think of new ideas or ways to improve, which will then go into a sequel. Once the second game is finished, many may feel they've done all they can for the IP and thus might not have much drive to do a third game.

Of course, there could be multiple reasons why Valve doesn't go past a second entry in a series, but either of Wolpaw's explanations seem sound. That doesn't mean people at the company don't want to keep going after a sequel is completed. Wolpaw said he wanted to do a Portal 3, and in fact he and fellow writer Jay Pinkerton say they have an idea for a third entry, so it's not as if the desire to do threequels isn't there.

With Valve concentrating on its Steam Deck device, not to mention the lucrative asset that is the Steam platform, the studio has less time to work on games. There have been some released over the past couple of years, such as Half-Life: Alyx and Aperture Desk Job, but it's no secret that much of the fan base is clamoring for the continued exploits of one Gordon Freeman or maybe even Portal's Chell.

Portal RTX releases on December 8 on PC.

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Source: PCGamesN