A leak of more than 12 terabytes of data from games uploaded to Steam between 2003 and 2013 has uncovered material linked to several cancelled and unfinished projects, including Valve’s abandoned Half-Life 2: Episode 3.
The archive is so large that its full contents have yet to be established. However, people examining the files have already identified assets from Episode 3, cut material from Portal 2 and an early build of F-Stop, a planned Portal-universe game centred on a camera-based mechanic.
Other discoveries reportedly include early versions of Call of Duty and Resident Evil titles, along with builds of Mirror’s Edge, Batman: Arkham Asylum and Dragon Age: Origins. Further material could emerge as the files are investigated.
Portal 2 material among the most significant discoveries
Some of the most notable findings so far concern Portal 2. Deleted dialogue appears to offer a different interpretation of the game’s Companion Cubes, while alternative versions of its opening and GLaDOS sequences have also been found.
The archive is also said to contain a version of the Weaponizer, a device originally intended for Half-Life 2: Episode 3. The discovery provides another glimpse of the ideas Valve explored for the long-delayed continuation before it was cancelled.
Because of the archive’s scale, it remains unclear how much additional content it contains or how complete the recovered game builds may be. The material has nevertheless begun revealing previously unseen details about development work across Valve and a number of major third-party studios.
