https://www.polygon.com/2017/8/28/16214688/half-life-2-episode-3-plot-artifact-valve

When Half-Life series writer (and ex-Valve staffer) Marc Laidlaw dropped a piece of fiction that read a lot like a possible Half-Life 2: Episode 3 plot over the weekend, it renewed fans’ angst with Half-Life publisher Valve.

Fan forums lit up with theories about why the studio has evidently abandoned Half-Life in the 10 years since it last released an entry in the series. After reading Laidlaw’s “Epistle 3” blog post, many pinned the blame for Half-Life’s demise on other projects, like the upcoming Artifact.