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Report: Half-Life 'Sole Writer' Marc Laidlaw Has Departed Valve
Half-Life fans are eager to grab onto any piece of information that might hint at the future of the series. The latest tidbit involves Marc Laidlaw, the “sole writer” behind Half-Life and Half-Life 2. He has reportedly departed Valve, according to information surfaced via an alleged email exchange with fan “TeddyWolfHLFan,” who posted images.
The pictures of the email correspondence have been redacted to exclude personal information (like email addresses), so until Valve confirms, we are taking this with a grain of salt. We’ve, of course, asked Valve, but co-worker Erik Wolpaw indicated the details are true via Facebook. Gamasutra is also reporting that it has confirmed the news.
If accurate, this would mark the end of Laidlaw’s 18-year tenure at Valve. In the emails, he suggests that he’s departing to work on self-directed projects. Laidlaw has published a number of novels and short stories.
While Laidlaw’s departure would mean a change of voice for future Half-Life games, it certainly doesn’t suggest anything about the status of Half-Life 3. Valve has been tight-lipped and, possibly, teasing fans who are eager for any information.
Keep hope alive, Half-Life fans. We’ll update should we hear back from Valve about Laidlaw’s status with the company.
[Source: Reddit user TeddyWolf, Gamasutra]
Our Take
As with any story even remotely connected to Half-Life and Valve, there is only one proper response. I’ll let you make it in the comments.
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