Rumour: No Episode 3 this year

This is just a rumour for now - and hardly a surprising one at that - but Valve is said to not have a 2010 release in mind for the next instalment in the Half-Life series according to recent reports.

The rumour, which cites no source at all, seems to originate with the latest issue of Game Informer in the US, which mentions the fact in the self-proclaimed 'Rumours and Scuttlebutt' column.

"Loose Talk has learned that there won't be any game from the franchise in 2010, and what will finally come out is still unknown," says the mag, according to ShackNews.

Valve has been typically truculent and silent on the issue, saying only that the team still has plans for Gordon Freeman and hinting that the third episode in the Half-Life Episodes series is a much more ambitious project than anything fans have yet seen. Whether that means that it'll just be a longer episode, a fully-formed Half-Life 3 or even a Half-Life MMO is anyone's guess.

The last game in the series, Episode 2, was released as part of Valve's Orange Box back in November 2007. Since then the studio has continued to grow Team Fortress 2 and released Left 4 Dead and Left 4 Dead 2, but has announced nothing about the future of Mr. Freeman.

And, yes, part of the whole 'Episodes' idea was that Half-Life fans would be able to get quicker releases that directly addressed fan feedback.

Let us know your thoughts in the forums.

Thanks to forum member ChocolateRaisins for the tip!