If you’d thought we’d not celebrated the success of Half-Life 2 over the years, this new update might mean that the collective industry can pump some more air into the Valve tires. Half-Life 2 is getting a VR mod and it’s probably going to be as cool as you’re hoping that it will be.
The beta version of the aforementioned Half-Life 2 VR mod was announced today to be coming in September in a message from the Source VR Mod Team stating the following: “Good news, everyone! The wait is nearly over – the Half-Life 2: VR public beta is launching in September. And yes, we do mean this year”
Interestingly, it’s the “overwhelmingly positive feedback” from people who were privately beta testing the mod that drove the team to announce the earlier than intended access to the mod. “The overwhelmingly positive feedback from our private beta testers over the past few weeks has convinced us that the game as it is now can not only be fully completed from start to finish, but it’s also very enjoyable to do so, and we wish to give you the opportunity to experience it for yourselves. So go and retrieve your crowbars from storage, and we will see you soon!” the post reads.
The team does not yet have a specifically locked-in release date, though they seem certain that it will be a Friday for some reason. The team does confirm what many had assumed–you’ll need to own a copy of Half-Life 2 to be able to play the mod, but the mod itself will be free to all who wish to try it out. Their final point is an important one for those who wish to try out the mod themselves.
“Unfortunately, at this point in time, we do not know if the initial public release will happen on Steam. We are still waiting for approval by Valve, and we do not know how much longer that will take. If our Store page gets approved by September, we will launch on Steam as planned. If not, we will prepare an alternative launch outside of Steam. Either way, we are excited to have you play the mod in September!”
It’s great to hear that no matter the outcome of the initial conversations with Valve, excited fans will have a way to play the game no matter the mode of delivery.
Of course, Half-Life and VR are now intrinsically linked thanks in large part to the 2020 launch of Half-Life: Alyx to universal acclaim. Currently, the game is only available on PC-based VR platforms though scuttlebutt suggests that the game might come to PS VR, or even its upcoming sequel PS VR2 in 2023, though official confirmation of this rumor has not come about.
