Half Life lead writer Marc Laidlaw has officially retired from Valve after 18 years.
We haven’t seen a new Half Life game for almost a decade, and now the writer behind the franchise has announced his retirement from Valve.
Having worked on the original Half Life and its sequel, Marc Laidlaw will leave the company to focus on “self-directed writing projects.”
Reports of Laidlaw’s retirement surfaced in emails between him and Reddit user TeddyWolf, which were later confirmed by Gamespot.
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“I am no longer a full or part-time Valve employee, no longer involved in day-to-day decisions or operations, no longer a spokesperson for the company, no longer privy to most types of confidential information, no longer working on Valve games in any capacity.
“I had a good run but lately I have been feeling a need for a break from the collaborative chaos of game production, and a return to more self-directed writing projects.”
It seems there is no bad blood between Laidlaw and Valve, who had been at company for almost two decades.
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Before you get your hopes up, TeddyWolf also reached out to Laidlaw for any information on Half Life 3, and whether he was involved with the project.
“Where Valve may choose to take Half-Life in the future is not in my hands,” he said. “I have been a grateful co-creator, but my time working on the series is behind me.”
Half Life 2: Episode Two launched in 2007, ending on a painful cliffhanger that left millions waiting for resolution.
Information on the fabled Half Life 3 has been almost nonexistent, leading to plenty of rumours and speculation about the game.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
