After over 18 years as the co-creator and writer for Half-Life 1 and Half-Life 2, Marc Laidlaw has confirmed that he has retired. This news come from an enlightening email correspondence between Laidlaw and a Reddit user.
In response to an inquiry sent to him asking about the lack of confirmation for Half-Life 3, Marc Laidlaw explains that he cannot comment on the future of franchise since he has recently retired.
“I am no longer a full or part time Valve employee, no longer involved in day to day decisions or operations, no longer a spokesman for the company, no longer privy to most types of confidential information, no longer working on Valve games in any capacity,” Laidlaw explains.
In response to why he has chosen to leave Valve, Laidlaw boils it down to age and interest: “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.”
The future of the Half-Life series seems to be as uncertain as ever. Though fans have been eagerly awaiting some kind of announcement from Valve or any kind of information regarding the story-driven franchise, no details have been shared. Even more, Laidlaw’s departure doesn’t provide any substantial hint or tease towards a future for the series.
“I don’t and can’t entirely know,” Laidlaw says about the implications of his departure from Valve on the future of Half-Life. “Half-Life is fully owned by Valve. It came into existence before my arrival. Where Valve may choose to take it in the future is not in my hands. I have been a grateful co-creator, but my time of working on the series is behind me. Since I no longer speak for Valve, it would be inappropriate for me to answer questions or speculate openly on the fate of the franchise,” he adds.
On a more hopeful note, Marc Laidlaw’s tight-lipped response neither confirms nor denies the existence of Half-Life 3; it could still be in the works.
Source: TeddyWolf on Reddit (via Gamastura)