Report: 'Half-Life 3' is being playtested in its entirety

Image: Valve

If the rumours are to be believed, Half-Life 3 might be coming soon. Leaker Tyler McVicker reported that the game, which is supposedly codenamed HLX, is supposedly playable from start to finish and is being extensively playtested.

Some of the leaked info claims that HLX isn't expected to be a virtual reality-based game like Half-Life: Alyx. The game will reportedly have procedural generation details but not related to terrain or roguelike elements. Instead, it will influence parts like doors, props, physics, NPCs, and enemy types, like with the Left 4 Dead Director. Valve has yet to confirm that the game is in the works. But hopefully, we hear something soon.

SOURCE: 1 + 2

Don't expect a Steam Deck 2 to come out anytime soon

Photo: Valve

If you thought Valve would release a new Steam Deck every year, we're sorry to disappoint you that this might not happen. In an interview with Reviews.org, Steam Deck designers Lawrence Yang and Yazan Aldehayyat talked about the game console's future.

Despite more competition in the space, they don't plan on releasing new versions of the Steam Deck with only incremental updates. Yang said the team is looking for a "generational leap in compute without sacrificing battery life" before they launch a proper Steam Deck 2.

Click to read more ...

Steam tightens refund policy for Early Access games

Image: Steam

Eight years ago, Valve introduced a generous refund policy for Steam users. You could get a refund on any game, no questions asked, within 14 days of purchase as long as you played for less than two hours. However, this policy didn't quite apply to Early Access and Advanced Access games. 

In these programs, players could enjoy a game early before its official release, but playtime during that period didn't count towards the two-hour limit. This meant some could essentially play most of the game and then request a refund before release. To address this loophole, Valve has updated its policy. Now, any playtime in Early Access or Advanced Access will count towards the two-hour refund limit.

Source

Steam revamps family sharing with new features

Image: Valve

Steam revamped its family sharing with Steam Families. Families can now share games more easily with simultaneous play for different games, stronger parental controls, and easier gifting for kids.

Gone are the days of juggling Family Sharing and Family View. Now, families of up to six can play together without restrictions on how many devices you can authorize (except members can play the same game at once). If two people in your family want to play the same game, there needs to be a new copy bought and added to your library. Each member still maintains their saves, achievements, workshop files, and other features.

Click to read more ...