The plot thickens. Just when you thought the flood of Valve leaks and announcements couldn’t get more interesting, someone noticed something peculiar on Valve’s official Steam publisher page on November 12, 2025. The upcoming releases section shows a count of 2 games, but only one of them is actually visible to the public – Deadlock, their MOBA shooter currently in closed testing. That means there’s another game in Valve’s pipeline that they’re deliberately keeping hidden from Steam’s public search and browse features.
How Steam’s Publisher Pages Work
To understand why this matters, you need to know how Steam’s backend works. Every publisher on Steam has a page that shows their released games, upcoming releases, and overall catalog. The upcoming releases counter pulls from games that are listed in Steam’s database with future release dates. If a game is set to private or unlisted, it still shows up in the total count but doesn’t appear in the public list. That’s exactly what’s happening here with Valve.
Developers and publishers use this privacy feature for several reasons. Sometimes it’s to prevent spoiling surprise announcements. Other times it’s for internal testing and backend setup before making a store page public. In Valve’s case, given the tsunami of hardware announcements and leaks over the past few days, that hidden listing could be anything from Half-Life 3 to Portal 3 to something completely unexpected.
The Timing Is Everything
Think about what’s happened in just the past 72 hours. Valve announced the Steam Machine console, Steam Frame VR headset, and new Steam Controller on November 11. Komodo accidentally leaked product pages for all three before going offline. GabeFollower posted that cryptic White Rabbit countdown tweet. Then someone spotted what looks like a Portal game running in the background of Linus Tech Tips’ Steam Frame hands-on video. And now this hidden upcoming release appears on Valve’s publisher page.
That’s a lot of smoke for there not to be fire. Valve is clearly gearing up for something big beyond just hardware. Having a killer first-party exclusive to announce alongside the Steam Machine would make perfect business sense. You can’t launch a new console in 2026 and expect people to buy it just for the privilege of playing their existing Steam library on a TV. You need system sellers. You need games that make people say they have to own this hardware.
What Could It Be?
The obvious candidates are the games Valve fans have been begging for since the dawn of time. Half-Life 3 tops that list. The franchise hasn’t had a mainline entry since Half-Life 2: Episode Two way back in 2007. Half-Life: Alyx proved in 2020 that Valve still knows how to make incredible Half-Life experiences, but it was VR-only and positioned as a prequel. A proper Half-Life 3 running on Source 2 and optimized for the Steam Machine would be absolutely massive.
Portal 3 is the other elephant in the room, especially given that potential leak in the LTT video. Portal 2 came out in 2011, and while it ended Chell’s story satisfactorily, there’s plenty of narrative space to explore in the Aperture Science universe. A new Portal game that works both on traditional displays and in VR through the Steam Frame would showcase Valve’s entire hardware ecosystem perfectly. The puzzle mechanics translate beautifully to virtual reality, and Aperture Desk Job already proved Valve knows how to bring Portal’s DNA to modern hardware.
The Dark Horse Candidates
Don’t sleep on Left 4 Dead 3, which has been rumored for years but never materialized. Counter-Strike fans already have Counter-Strike 2, so a new entry there seems unlikely. Team Fortress 3 remains a possibility, though the franchise has been relatively quiet compared to Valve’s other properties. There’s also the chance Valve is working on something completely new – a fresh IP designed specifically to showcase what the Steam Machine and Steam Frame can do together.
Another possibility that often gets overlooked is a compilation or remaster package. Imagine The Orange Box 2 – Half-Life 2 remastered in Source 2, Portal 2 with updated graphics, Left 4 Dead 2 optimized for modern hardware, all bundled together as a Steam Machine launch title. Valve has done this before, and it would give new players a way to experience classic Valve games while showing off the console’s backwards compatibility and enhancement features.
The Deadlock Factor
The one game we know is coming is Deadlock, Valve’s hero shooter MOBA that’s currently in closed testing. The game has been playable for thousands of testers throughout 2025, and most industry watchers expect a full public release sometime in 2026. Having Deadlock launch alongside the Steam Machine would give Valve a competitive multiplayer title to go head-to-head with Overwatch, Apex Legends, and other hero shooters dominating the console space.
But Deadlock alone probably isn’t enough to justify the Steam Machine’s existence. It’s a free-to-play multiplayer game that will run on pretty much any PC. You don’t need specialized console hardware to play it. That’s why the hidden second game on Valve’s publisher page is so important. If it’s a proper single-player or co-op experience exclusive to Valve’s ecosystem, that changes the value proposition entirely. Suddenly the Steam Machine becomes a must-have device rather than a nice-to-have convenience.
When Will We Find Out?
Given the hardware launch window of early 2026, Valve needs to reveal their software lineup relatively soon. Pre-orders for the Steam Machine will likely open in the coming months, and customers want to know what games they’ll be playing on it. The smart move would be a formal game announcement in December 2025 or January 2026, giving Valve time to build hype through trailers, gameplay reveals, and press coverage before the hardware ships.
That White Rabbit countdown tweet from GabeFollower could be pointing to exactly this kind of announcement. The leaker has proven reliable in the past, and they rarely post cryptic teases without having concrete information about upcoming reveals. If GabeFollower thinks something big is imminent, there’s a good chance that hidden game on Valve’s publisher page will become public knowledge very soon.
The Community Response
As expected, the gaming community exploded with speculation the moment this hidden listing was discovered. Reddit threads filled with theories ranging from plausible to completely unhinged. Some users are convinced it’s Half-Life 3 finally happening after nearly two decades. Others think it’s a VR-exclusive title designed to show off the Steam Frame’s capabilities. The skeptics point out it could just be an internal test listing or a minor release that Valve hasn’t bothered to make public yet.
What’s undeniable is that Valve has the entire PC gaming world’s attention right now. Between the hardware announcements, the leaks, the cryptic teases, and now this hidden game listing, something significant is brewing. Whether it lives up to the hype remains to be seen, but Valve has successfully created a media frenzy without even officially announcing a game yet. That’s masterful marketing, intentional or not.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did people discover on Valve’s Steam page?
On November 12, 2025, users noticed that Valve’s official Steam publisher page shows 2 upcoming releases in the counter, but only Deadlock is publicly visible. This means there’s a second game that’s been added to Steam’s database but is set to private or unlisted.
How do Steam publisher pages work?
Steam publisher pages show all games from a specific developer or publisher. The upcoming releases counter includes both public and private listings. Private listings still count toward the total but don’t appear in search results or browse features until the developer makes them public.
What is the hidden Valve game?
Valve hasn’t officially announced what the hidden game is. Speculation ranges from Half-Life 3 to Portal 3 to Left 4 Dead 3, or potentially a completely new IP. It could also be a remaster collection or a smaller project.
When will Valve announce the mystery game?
No official announcement date has been revealed. However, given the Steam Machine console launches in early 2026 and will likely need software to sell the hardware, an announcement in late 2025 or early 2026 seems probable.
Is Deadlock the only confirmed upcoming Valve game?
Deadlock is the only publicly visible upcoming release on Valve’s Steam publisher page. The hero shooter MOBA is currently in closed testing and expected to launch publicly in 2026.
Could the hidden listing be a mistake?
While possible, it’s unlikely. Steam’s database accurately tracks listings, and Valve controls their own publisher page. The hidden game is more likely an intentional private listing for an unannounced project rather than a technical error.
Will this game be exclusive to Steam Machine?
That’s unknown. Valve typically releases games across PC platforms, but they could position a major title as a timed exclusive for Steam Machine to drive hardware sales, similar to how console manufacturers use first-party exclusives.
Final Thoughts
A hidden game listing on Valve’s publisher page might seem like a small detail, but in the context of everything else happening right now, it’s another piece of a much larger puzzle. Valve is clearly building toward something big. Whether that something is Half-Life 3, Portal 3, or a completely unexpected new franchise, the fact that they’re keeping it hidden while simultaneously generating hype through hardware announcements and accidental leaks is classic Valve.
The company has always operated on its own timeline, announcing games when they’re ready and not a moment before. But with new hardware launching in early 2026 and the need for compelling software to justify that hardware, Valve can’t stay silent forever. That hidden listing will eventually become public, and when it does, the gaming world will be watching. Until then, the speculation continues, and honestly? That’s half the fun of following Valve. The mystery is part of the experience.