A Half-Life RTS is reportedly in development for the long-delayed Steam Deck, and will reportedly serve as Valve’s plan to show-off the capability of its new hardware. While Half-Life: Alyx scratched many fans' itch for more Half-Life content, the VR title wasn’t the Half-Life 3 title many are currently awaiting. And despite rumors circulating around the internet, Valve isn’t in the process of developing a Half-Life sequel like many fans might hope. Though there are a few Valve developers working on Half-Life 3, full development is still far away – if it ever comes at all.
Valve’s new handheld console is expected to ship in February 2022 after supply issues caused major delays for the Steam Deck. The device is pegged as a portable PC that will grant access to most of a player’s Steam library while maintaining itself as a budget-friendly and mobile option. Valve’s Steam Deck has joysticks like other portable devices such as the Nintendo Switch, as well as a touchscreen, touchpads, and back buttons that may make it an accessible option for portable gaming. It was previously announced that the Steam Deck won’t play all of Steam’s 50,000 titles, though the device will display which of those titles are compatible through a verification system. While still months away from release, Valve recently sent out limited Steam Deck developer kits, and the early impressions are very positive. As other studios begin to create games for the Steam Deck, though, Valve has some projects already in the works.
As reported by PCGamesN, Valve is currently in the process of developing a Half-Life RTS that is intended to showcase the full potential of the Steam Deck. Valve News Network creator Tyler McVicker described the project on his YouTube channel, claiming the project - codenamed Citadel - is an FPS and RTS co-op game that is a “nostalgia-fest” and is the love-child of “Left 4 Dead, Alien Swarm, an RTS and Half-Life.” Citadel is reportedly “being created with the Steam Deck in mind,” though the project is “still very much in development” and likely won’t release for another year and a half to two years.
It is unclear what Citadel is or what connection the game has with the Half-Life franchise. While McVicker confirmed he received his information by datamining regularly-updated Valve software - and regularly collects information on Citadel since 2018 - he couldn't provide specific information regarding the game’s storyline or mechanics.
That said, it is possible Citadel is an original IP that takes inspiration from Valve’s Half-Life franchise, and won’t be a replacement for future games in the series. In his video, McVicker explained that a VR-based follow-up to Half-Life: Alyx is on the way but is still in “the mechanical testing phases,” which likely means it's still very far from launch. Citadel might be a bridge between Half-Life: Alyx and any future Half-Life title, while deliberately set to showcase the power of Valve's Steam Deck.
There will likely be a lot of intrigue surrounding Citadel while development pushes forward. As an FPS/RTS co-op game that combines elements of Left 4 Dead, Alien Swarm and Half-Life, the future title holds the ingredients to popular games that could set it apart - especially considering it's development is progressing with the Steam Deck in mind.
Source: PCGamesN