Half-Life 3 Featured in a Valve Product Commercial - But It Might Just Be a Prank by the Developer

On June 22, Valve opened pre-orders for the Steam Machine, their new device that they describe as a hybrid between a PC and a console. Four different versions are already available for pre-order, but many fans feel the price is a bit too high, which has sparked quite a bit of buzz—especially since concerns were already rising due to increases in the cost of RAM.

In recent months, there have been numerous rumors that with the upcoming release of the Steam Machine, Valve might finally announce Half-Life 3, potentially as an exclusive for the platform. Although this hasn't happened yet—and there's no guarantee it will any time soon—the company dbrand, known for producing licensed accessories, released a new video dedicated to the Companion Cube. Notably, at the end of the video, the creators prominently display the Half-Life 3 logo. While this is most likely a playful tease approved by Valve, especially in light of the Steam Machine pre-order announcement, it could also carry a deeper meaning.

dbrand’s Steam Machine commercial features Half-Life 3, likely as a joke (or is it?)

dbrand are infamous for pranks like those, but this is a commercial is for an officially licensed Companion Cube accessory, approved by Valve, so this be a real tease?

Recently, rumors claimed Half-Life 3 is nearly finished and is meant to launch with Steam Machine, though nothing official about Half-Life 3 yet.

As user X RinoTheBouncer points out, there have been numerous rumors recently claiming that Half-Life 3 is supposedly in the final stages of development. However, this information still awaits official confirmation—just as the speculation that the game was supposed to be announced at The Game Awards 2025.

Do you believe that the announcement of Half-Life 3 might be closer now that Steam Machine pre-orders have started? Share your thoughts in the comments below!