2024 has been a goldmine of Half-Life discoveries. The series has sneakily reappeared in a Counter-Strike 2 update, a mysterious Half-Life 2 patch might hint towards 20th-anniversary celebrations, and Half-Life 3 feels closer than it’s ever been. There’s never been a better time to dig into Gordan Freeman’s silent adventures. Now, if you’re as much a fan of beta builds and cut content as I am, I’ve got a real treat for you. A decades-old disc containing a prerelease Half-Life build has been found, and it’s been archived for good measure.
It all starts with Chad Jessup. Jessup claims they beta-tested the original Half-Life for Valve back in the late ‘90s, with an old beta disc of the FPS still in their possession. Thought lost to time or disc rot, Jessup just found the CD (alongside some more goodies) as they moved their storage units into their garage. Jessup documents all their findings in a Twitter/X thread, but the Half-Life beta CD might just be the most interesting.
Jessup managed to burn the intact Half-Life CD, and working with self-described “amateur archivist” ‘Frogsnatcher,’ uploaded it to the Internet Archive. It turns out that this is a 1998 build of the original game, and it looks like it’s almost fully intact, with a few differences from the launch version. “This version is a few weeks before the full release, but folks have found unfinished levels, script, and texture changes too,” Jessup writes. “Some surprising differences.”
Between a rogue Pepsi Machine, unfinished and cut levels, technical documents, and a look at late-game development changes, this Half-Life CD offers an entirely new look at the development of Valve’s game. While the build is from 1998, you can still check out some content that Valve cut last minute. Both the Communications Center level and the flying Stukabat enemy didn’t survive to the full launch, but they’re playable in this beta build. Frogsnatcher shares some footage of both, seen below.
Frogsnatcher says they’re writing a blog post with all their findings, with over a year and a half worth of info to dump surrounding the original Half-Life yet. While the build on the CD is remarkably close to Valve’s retail version of the game, there’s still a lot to unpack from the beta disc.
You’ll find the archived version of the Half-Life Beta Net Test right here, if you fancy checking it out.
As you hold out hope for Half-Life 3 we’ve put together all the biggest upcoming PC games to watch. Otherwise, take a trip back in time and check out all the best old games to play today instead.
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