Remember those slick Resident Evil 9 character renders that turned out to be AI-generated garbage? Well, the same Twitter account behind those fakes just made an even bolder claim: Half-Life: Xen will be announced at The Game Awards 2025 with a March 2026 release date. The gaming community’s response was swift and brutal: absolutely nobody believes it.
The Source Has Zero Credibility
The Twitter account making this claim, idontknow_17292, already burned whatever credibility it might have had when its Resident Evil 9 character renders were exposed as AI-generated fakes on December 9, 2025. Users discovered the account wasn’t even creating original content, just reposting material from another Twitter account called SpookyHoo.
When the RE9 renders were debunked, the Half-Life community immediately applied the same skepticism to the Xen claim. A Reddit thread on the Half-Life subreddit bluntly titled “The ‘Resident evil 9 leaker’ is not a leaker, ‘Half life:Xen’ leaks are fake” quickly gained traction, with users pointing out that this account has no legitimate insider access whatsoever.
The Name Itself Is Suspicious
Anyone familiar with Valve’s development history immediately spotted a red flag with the name “Half-Life: Xen.” The project currently in development at Valve is internally codenamed HLX, not anything publicly facing like “Xen.” Previous Half-Life games followed similar patterns – Half-Life: Alyx was referred to as HLVR in leaked files before its official reveal.
As one Reddit user explained, “The fact that the ‘leaker’ thinks HLX is the real working title is very telling. HLA was known as HLVR in the leaks. There’s no way HLX will be called Half-Life: Xen.” The name sounds like something a fan would dream up, not an actual Valve codename or working title.
What HLX Actually Might Be
There ARE legitimate Half-Life 3 leaks circulating from credible sources like Gabe Follower and Tyler McVicker, but they paint a very different picture than this supposed “Half-Life: Xen” announcement. Here’s what credible datamining has actually revealed:
- References to HLX appear in Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, and Deadlock files
- Mentions of thumpers, antlions, and other Xen-related content suggest a return to familiar Half-Life elements
- The project appears to be a direct sequel to Half-Life: Alyx, not a standalone Xen-focused game
- Internal playtesting expanded to friends and family of Valve developers, suggesting late-stage development
- Files reference the HEV suit (now called “Burbank suit”), gravity gun mechanics, and arctic environments
Legitimate leakers have suggested a possible 2025 announcement could happen, with The Game Awards being a logical venue. But they’re not claiming to know the exact title or release date months in advance like this fake account is.
The Game Awards Hype Machine
Every year as The Game Awards approaches, the internet explodes with wild speculation and supposed leaks. This year’s rumor mill has been particularly unhinged, with claims ranging from Bloodborne remasters to Silent Hill remakes to Half-Life 3 announcements. As one Reddit commenter perfectly summarized: “This might be the most delusional TGA we’ve ever had. People talking about Bloodborne, Half Life 3, and Jesus coming back.”
The problem with The Game Awards speculation is that the event has become such a massive platform that every dormant franchise gets dragged into the rumor cycle. Yes, Geoff Keighley has history with Half-Life through his Final Hours documentary series. Yes, revealing Half-Life 3 at TGA would be an incredible moment. But that doesn’t mean every random Twitter account claiming insider knowledge is telling the truth.
Why Valve Wouldn’t Call It Half-Life Xen
Xen is a location in the Half-Life universe, the border dimension between Earth and the Combine’s realm. While it’s certainly possible the next Half-Life game could feature Xen prominently, Valve has never named a mainline Half-Life title after a specific location. The naming convention has always been sequential (Half-Life, Half-Life 2) or character-focused (Half-Life: Alyx).
Furthermore, datamined information suggests the next game will feature arctic environments, continuing story threads from the cancelled Half-Life 2: Episode Three. The 20th anniversary Half-Life 2 documentary showed scrapped Episode Three content including ice guns and blob enemies set in cold climates. None of that screams “Let’s make Xen the main focus and put it in the title.”
The Real Half-Life 3 Situation
Strip away the fake leaks and AI-generated nonsense, and here’s what credible sources actually suggest about the next Half-Life game. Gabe Follower, who accurately leaked Deadlock details before its reveal, claims HLX is real and in late-stage development. Playtesting has been ongoing, with recent expansion to friends and family of Valve employees, historically a sign that a game is nearing completion.
According to Gabe Follower’s December 2024 statement: “It’s quite an important stage for the project. If it survives the New Year holiday and there are no serious problems during the playtests then the development will continue at the right pace, and the announcement in 2025 might turn out to be quite possible.” Notice the careful language – “might be quite possible,” not “definitely happening at TGA with a March release date.”
Community Reaction Has Been Brutal
The Half-Life community, battle-hardened by decades of false hope and crushed expectations, didn’t hesitate to tear this leak apart. Comments ranged from jokes about Valve’s security team hunting down the leaker to mockery of anyone gullible enough to believe a source already exposed for posting AI fakes.
One highly upvoted comment summed up the general sentiment: “I don’t understand why anyone would believe this. Are we seriously just taking every Twitter screenshot as fact now?” Another user pointed out the absurdity: “The name ‘Half-Life: Xen’ was a dead giveaway. There are no real leakers or insiders anymore, just people making educated guesses.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Half-Life: Xen real?
Almost certainly not. The claim comes from a Twitter account that was already exposed for posting AI-generated fake Resident Evil 9 renders. The account has no credible track record and appears to just repost content from other sources.
Will Half-Life 3 be announced at The Game Awards 2025?
Possibly, but there’s no confirmed information. Credible leakers like Gabe Follower suggest a 2025 announcement is possible, and The Game Awards would be a logical venue, but nobody with actual insider knowledge is making specific date claims.
What is HLX?
HLX is the internal codename for Valve’s next Half-Life project found in datamined files from Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, and Deadlock. It appears to be a direct sequel to Half-Life: Alyx and is currently in late-stage playtesting.
Why don’t people believe the Half-Life: Xen leak?
The source has zero credibility after posting AI-generated fake renders, the name “Half-Life: Xen” doesn’t match Valve’s naming conventions, and the overly specific claims about announcement dates and release windows are red flags that suggest someone making things up rather than sharing real insider information.
What do credible Half-Life 3 leaks actually say?
Legitimate datamining has found references to HLX in multiple Valve games, mentions of antlions, thumpers, and Xen creatures, arctic environments, and the return of classic Half-Life mechanics like the gravity gun. Playtesting has expanded to friends and family, suggesting late-stage development.
Who is Gabe Follower?
Gabe Follower is a credible Valve insider and dataminer who accurately leaked details about Deadlock before its official reveal. They’ve been reporting on HLX development and suggest a 2025 announcement is possible if playtesting goes well.
Could Valve really announce Half-Life 3 this year?
It’s possible. Credible sources suggest HLX is in late-stage development with active playtesting. The Game Awards on December 11, 2025 would be the last major opportunity for a surprise reveal this year, but nothing is confirmed.
What happened with the RE9 renders from the same leaker?
Twitter users discovered the Resident Evil 9 character renders posted by idontknow_17292 were AI-generated fakes. Closer inspection revealed poor model quality and fake Funko Pops in backgrounds, exposing them as fabricated content rather than legitimate leaks.
The Takeaway
Here’s the harsh truth: most gaming leaks are either educated guesses, deliberate misinformation, or outright fabrications designed to farm engagement on social media. The Half-Life: Xen claim checks all the boxes for a fake leak: suspicious source, overly specific details, convenient timing before a major event, and a name that sounds fan-made rather than official. While the next Half-Life game is almost certainly in development based on credible datamining, this particular leak deserves nothing but skepticism. If Valve does announce something at The Game Awards on December 11, great. But don’t hold your breath based on claims from a Twitter account that already got caught posting AI-generated garbage.