Half-Life 2: Episode Three

***Half-Life 2: Episode Three*** was a planned first-person shooter video game. It was meant to be the third and final part of a series of games that continued the story of *Half-Life 2*. The game was developed by the company Valve. However, it was never released, and its story remains unfinished.

## Background 
*Half-Life 2* was a popular game released by Valve in 2004. It was followed by two episodes: *Half-Life 2: Episode One* in 2006 and *Half-Life 2: Episode Two* in 2007. These episodes continued the story of the main character, Gordon Freeman, as he fought against an alien force called the Combine. The episodes ended on a cliffhanger, meaning the story was not complete.

Valve planned to release *Half-Life 2: Episode Three* to finish the story. Fans of the series were very excited about it. However, as time went on, Valve did not release any new information about the game. The release date kept getting delayed, and eventually, the game was never released.

## Development 
Valve announced *Half-Life 2: Episode Three* in 2006, soon after the release of *Episode One*. The game was expected to be released by the end of 2007. Valve said that the episodes would be like chapters in a book, with each episode being a part of the larger story.

As time passed, Valve stayed mostly silent about the game's development. They did not show any gameplay or share much about the story. Fans became worried that the game would never come out. Despite this, Valve never officially canceled the game. They simply stopped talking about it.

## Story and Setting 
The story of *Half-Life 2: Episode Three* was supposed to pick up right after the events of *Episode Two*. In the previous episode, Gordon Freeman and his ally, Alyx Vance, suffered a great loss. They were about to embark on a new mission to stop the Combine once and for all.

The story was expected to take place in the Arctic, where the Combine had a hidden base. Gordon and Alyx were supposed to find a ship called the Borealis, which held important technology. This technology could either save or destroy the world, depending on how it was used.

Although the game was never released, some of the story details were shared by people who worked at Valve. In 2017, former Valve writer Marc Laidlaw posted a story outline on his website. This outline was called *Epistle 3*, and it gave fans an idea of what the story of *Episode Three* might have been.

## Fan Reactions 
Fans of the *Half-Life* series were very disappointed that *Episode Three* was never released. Many had waited for years, hoping for news about the game. When Valve stopped talking about the game, fans started to believe it would never come out.

Over the years, fans have made their own versions of *Episode Three* or created other projects to try and finish the story. Some of these projects include fan-made games, stories, and videos. However, none of these are official, and the true ending of the *Half-Life* story remains unknown.

## Legacy 
Even though *Half-Life 2: Episode Three* was never released, the *Half-Life* series remains one of the most beloved in video game history. The games are praised for their storytelling, gameplay, and innovative design. The mystery of *Episode Three* has become a big part of video game culture, with fans still hoping that one day, Valve will finish the story.

In 2020, Valve released a new game in the *Half-Life* series called *Half-Life: Alyx*. This game was a virtual reality (VR) experience that took place before the events of *Half-Life 2*. Although it was not *Episode Three*, it showed that Valve had not completely forgotten about the *Half-Life* universe.