Interesting things are happening over at Valve. Over the last few weeks they have started to make major announcements in regards to virtual reality and how Valve will step into this new gaming realm with enthusiasm. Last week they were talking about the support Team Fortress 2 and Portal 2 would have on Virtual Reality, and giving out HTC Vives like candy to those in attendance at the Vision VR/AR Summit. This week we saw Valve pop up again at the Mobile World Congress, where they released a VR assessment tool for Steam users to see if their computers would be ready for virtual reality games when they started popping up on the Steam Store.  But as interesting as these announcements were, it was the tool itself that is garnering all the buzz. Or rather, what's hidden inside the tool. And yes, this might be spoilery for those that don't want to know anything about Valve's future projects. You have been warned.

You see, the VR tool was built using large chunks of files cut and pasted directly from Half Life 2, as well as bits from Source Engine 2. Within the core files for Source Engine 2 are files that are labeled for Left4Dead 3 and Half Life 3, some visual assets as well as a couple of maps.  What really gets me excited isn't the fact that these confirm development of the most highly anticipated Valve game of all time, it's what it says about that game.

Because, my dear friends, the map names tell us that Half Life 3 will be heading to Aperture Laboratories. Half of the maps included in the VR tool that mention Half Life 3 talk about testing rooms within the Portal games, as well as the lobby and offices of Aperture Laboratories.  This is beyond brilliant. Portal 2 completed the story of Chel and GLaDOS, but it's not as if Aperture disappeared from the map at the end of the game. We know for a fact that Half Life and Portal games all take place in the same universe, so it makes sense that Alyx would be heading into Aperture in order to save the world from...well stuff.  

I have always been intrigued by the idea of Half Life 3, but now I am PUMPED. What better way to continue the Half Life series than to meld it with Valve's breakout sleeper hit?  Honestly, I can't wait for this game now. And if Valve is allowing files to "leak" online, it means that they are ready to start talking about this after all this time.  Half Life 3 is going to be in virtual reality my friends, with Aperture as a backdrop. Best. Tuesday. Ever.