Valve veteran imperiously scorns Half-Life 3 finish claims

The Valve fan account GabeFollower posted a YouTube video claiming Half-Life 3 was finished and that developers were being moved onto other projects. The clip's assertion that the project is “done-and-dusted” was picked up and circulated widely. Former Valve developer Faliszek answered with heavy sarcasm, mocking the idea that shipping a game means everyone simply relaxes.

“They must be right! Because I cannot think of a time a product has shipped where, at the end of the project, it's not just relaxation right? It's hanging out by the lake, maybe going home early and hanging out with your family, relaxing… golf games,” he said. He kept up the tongue-in-cheek tone: “Because they've been done for months!

They just sit on the game! They're just relaxing, that's entirely how games are made. … Crunch is a myth, crunch really is just when people want to get away from their families and hang out and play pool.” The frustration behind the jokes was clear, and Faliszek later listed things that typically do happen as a project closes.