The public beta for Half-Life 2 VR, a community-made mod for Valve’s 2004 seminal PC shooter, will release in September.
Update August 29: The Half-Life 2 VR beta is now confirmed for Steam launch, scheduled for release on September 16. It is available to wishlist on the Steam Store now. The original article from August 10 follows.
The team announced the beta in a post on the mod’s website, jokingly mentioning that they definitely mean this September, and not the next. The mod has been shown in various stages of completion for almost a decade now.
However, the most recent update back in April was a promising one. We got some fresh gameplay, accompanied by an explanation of how large parts of the project recently had to be made from scratch, setting back development once again.
Soon, the mod will be ready for a wider release in beta. “The overwhelmingly positive feedback from our private beta testers over the past few weeks has convinced us that the game as it is now can not only be fully completed from start to finish, but it’s also very enjoyable to do so, and we wish to give you the opportunity to experience it for yourselves.”
There’s no exact release beyond September, but the team says it will “likely be a Friday.” The mod will be free, but players will of course need to own a copy of Half-Life 2 on Steam.
The creators want to release the mod on Steam, but are currently uncertain whether that will eventuate in time. “We are still waiting for approval by Valve, and we do not know how much longer that will take. If our Store page gets approved by September, we will launch on Steam as planned. If not, we will prepare an alternative launch outside of Steam.”
The team’s post-beta roadmap includes support for the game’s supplemental episodes, further polishing of the VR weapons overhaul and more movement and comfort options.
Will you be checking out Half-Life 2 VR next month? Let us know in the comments.
Editor’s note: A previous version of the article and headline listed the international September 17 release date. The article has since been updated to list September 16, the release date in the United States.
