'Half-Life 3' release date: New 'Half-Life' and 'Portal' game titles to merge?

Half-Life 2 main characters Alyx Vance and Dr. Gordon FreemanValve

There is still no solid information about the mythical "Half-Life 3", which already gained legendary status even if the title itself is still unconfirmed. Although there have already been petitions from fans asking Valve to get the development going, the game company's head Gabe Newell himself has been quoted as saying that the company will be working with "Half-Life 3" only when there is clamor from among the developers themselves. 

Although not confirming it directly, Valve has been reported to have been working on "Half-Life 3," although the resources were focused more on other Valve titles such as an upcoming update to "DoTA 2" and supposedly, the third installment in another hit company franchise, "Portal." 

When news of the "Portal 3" development hit online, speculations surfaced on when Valve will be releasing it, or if the new game will come ahead of "Half-Life 3," of if both titles will arrive at the same time. One fan even offered a conjecture that Valve may well combine the two titles into one release — not merely a packaged bundle consisting of separate titles, but rather one new game combining both the elements of "Half-Life" and "Portal."

According to game fan inexort posted last March, since both franchises are set in the same universe where both organizations Black Mesa and Aperture Science compete with each other, Valve can combine the two hit games into one hybrid title.

Inexort wrote, "Instead of a new 'Half-Life' game Valve released 'Portal '2 which gave us the hidden opportunity to visit the drydock. Until yesterday i thought about this as an easter egg, but maybe it was more?" 

The fan also stated that since "Half-Life" is considered to be a more major franchise, the main protagonist of the series, Gordon Freeman, might get an access to "Portal" elements.

"Therefore he might be confronted with Aperture Science technique," the fan wrote. "The final point is that he might get a 'Portal Gun' which integrates 'Portal' game mechanics in 'Half-Life 3'. 'Portal 2' could have been a way to make people comfortable with this game mechanics in preparation for Half-Life 3."