Celebrating 20 Years of Half-Life 2: Free Game Offer and New Documentary Release

Valve’s classic first-person shooter, Half-Life 2, is now 20 years old. To celebrate, Valve released a two-hour documentary about the game’s development. They have also made the original Half-Life 2, along with the Episode One and Episode Two expansions, free on Steam until November 18 at 10 AM PT.

The documentary, created by the Secret Tape team, covers key topics like Valve’s financial struggles during development, a significant game leak, and the creation of the Steam storefront.

Players who own or acquire the game can enjoy a new update. This update adds commentary from the original team, Steam Workshop support, gameplay recording features, bug fixes, enhanced lighting, and better support for controllers and Steam Deck.

Additionally, a new edition of Raising the Bar, a book on Half-Life 2‘s development, will be reprinted in 2025. This edition will include expanded content on the Half-Life 2 Episodes and new concept art from Episode One and Episode Two. It will also feature ideas and experiments related to the unreleased Episode Three.

For more information, visit the official Half-Life website.

You can watch the documentary trailer here.