Over the weekend, a new branch was added to Half-Life 2's backend on Steam called "test", which might be for a 20th anniversary update in November.

The first Half-Life got a similar branch last year ahead of its 25th anniversary update, also in November, which came with updated graphics settings, widescreen field of view, controller support, Steam Deck verification, Uplink content, four new multiplayer maps, restored content, and myriad bug fixes.

It seems likely then, given that Half-Life 2's branch is also called "test", that we'll see a similar update to mark the occasion later this year. The only question is what such an update would look like. Half-Life 2 is already Steam Deck verified and has controller support, and many of its bugs have already been ironed out—that being said, I wouldn't say no to a Deathmatch revival with some new maps.

A new branch called ‘test’ has been added to Half-Life 2.

Whilst this may be insignificant, the Half-Life 25th update branch was also called ‘test’, growing speculation that there could be a similar update in the works for Half-Life 2’s 20th anniversary this November. pic.twitter.com/v7sZTIbbx9

— LambdaGeneration (@LambdaGen) August 17, 2024

One theory is that, while this update will improve some aspects of Half-Life 2, the key focus will be on improving the quality of all Source games, much as Half-Life's anniversary update bolstered Counter-Strike 1.6.

This could mean tweaks for Counter-Strike: Source, Half-Life 2's episodes and Lost Coast, the two Portals, Team Fortress 2, and both Left 4 Dead games.

Of course, this is entirely speculation—the "test" branch in question might not be related to an anniversary update at all. But with how similar the entire situation is to the original Half-Life, it's a hopeful sign of some kind of celebration for Valve's defining FPS.

Posted: Aug 22, 2024 11:50 pm
Related Forum: PC Gaming Forum

Source: https://www.thegamer.com/half-life-2-steam-test-branch-update-20th-anniversary-update/