Valve just registered a new trademark, called Neon Prime. The company hasn’t yet announced whether Neon Prime is a new game, an expansion, or another kind of software.
According to the trademark registration, “NEON PRIME™ trademark registration is intended to cover the categories of computer game software, electronic game software, video game software, computer game programs downloadable via the internet.” These categories describe most of Valve’s activities, except for its hardware like the Steam Deck.
Fans are hoping for Neon Prime to be the name of the upcoming Half-Life game for the Steam Deck. At the end of 2021, reports mentioned that Valve was working on a new Half-Life game dedicated to the upcoming Steam Deck. This project, codenamed Citadel, would mix FPS elements with real-time strategy and co-op mechanics.
Citadel is meant to showcase the possibilities of the Steam Deck. Gameplay-wise, this FPS would combine elements from games like Left 4 Dead and Alien Swarm. But if Citadel was branded as a Half-Life game, it seems that Valve has no intention to continue Gordon Freeman’s story at the moment.
The trademark registration of Neon Prime could mean Citadel is on the way. Last December, insiders stated that we could expect news on Citadel “within the next year-and-a-half to two years.” As it has been almost a year since this declaration, Neon Prime could be the official name of Citadel – but these are mere speculations, as Valve didn’t share any official information about either of these projects.
If a new Half-Life game is a dream for many fans, other theories emerge regarding the true nature of Neon Prime. A former Valve employee commented that Neon Prime could be an “FTL-like ship building game” they worked on some time ago. FTL, also known as Faster Than Light, is a real-time strategy roguelike game set in space. The player controls a ship and crew on an adventure across a randomly generated galaxy.
The project mentioned by this former Valve employee would therefore be another kind of spaceship-building game with strategy and roguelike elements like in Faster Than Light. However, the former employee mentioned that they worked on this project “once upon a time” and that it could have been shelved since then.
No one truly knows what is hiding behind the Neon Prime trademark – except Valve employees. The trademark description hints at either a game or software, but it could be either a new single-player title, a VR experience, or some kind of software to customize your Steam Deck. Time will tell, and players will have to be a little more patient before finding out what Neon Prime is.
In other Valve news, the company recently announced the Steam Deck was now available without a reservation. Valve’s handheld console already sold over one million units, allowing users to play PC games on the go. Until we know more about Neon Prime, there is still plenty of games to discover on Steam and four seasonal sales to increase our backlogs.
