'Half-Life 3' teased by the SteamVR Performance Test

Half-Life 2 model found in SteamVR Performance TestSteamVR Performance Test, courtesy of Valve Time

Valve continues to tease fans regarding the release of "Half-Life 3." According to a report from PC Gamer, several suspicious files hinting at the existence of "Half-Life 3" and "Left 4 Dead 3" have been spotted in Valve's recently released SteamVR Performance Test.

The SteamVR Performance Test is designed to help consumers test their computers to determine if they have a computer powerful enough of running VR content at a consistent 90 frames per second. As the report points out, the Performance Test also contains several folders and files which continue to tease the possible release of "Half-Life 3."

Hidden in the files of the SteamVR Performance Test are several images that appear to be slightly improved models taken from "Half-Life 2," such as an improved model of the dog and several new robotic characters that haven't been identified as of the time being. 

"Half-Life 3" isn't the only game being teased, however, as there are assets taken from "Portal," DoTA 2," and a directory marked "L4D3," which is speculated to be a teaser for "Left 4 Dead 3." There is also a plethora of other character models and assets that are not from any existing Valve video game series.

Unfortunately, the report also points out that this is not a direct indication that "Half-Life 3" is indeed in the works and set for a release this year. Instead, there are possibly two reasons why the models have been included in the SteamVR Performance Test files.

It is explained that programmer Jeep Barnett already explained last year that the company was relying on older video game models to test the capabilities of the SteamVR system. Another explanation from PC Gamer is that the models in question may be used by toy creator Tristan Reidford, who also designed the toy version of the Gravity Gun from "Half-Life 2."

At this point, there is no official release date and Valve has not issued any official statement regarding the leak.