The original Half-Life is free on Steam, just in time for its 25th anniversary

From now until Monday, November 20th, Steam players can pick up the original Half-Life for free. Experience the origins of one of Valve’s most beloved franchises as it celebrates its 25th anniversary.

The Steam listing currently has Half-Life discounted from its $11.49 price. Valve’s gaming platform states that the game is “Free to keep when you get it before 20 Nov @ 1:00 pm.” It’s worth noting that the promotion is open “while supplies last.” There’s no indication of how many copies are available via Steam or if more will become available throughout the weekend.

Half-Life is free to own on Steam (offer good until Nov 20th) https://t.co/PmYzQqjwEC

want to feel old? the game is turning 25 years old this week pic.twitter.com/oMkWIyjGEp

— Wario64 (@Wario64) November 16, 2023

Half-Life is a historic franchise in the industry. Developed by Valve, the first-person shooter was first released on PC in 1998. It was the game that put Valve on the map, ahead of other marquee games like Portal and Counter-Strike. It was a bonafide hit for the studio, praised for incorporating horror elements, puzzles, and graphics at the time. Several expansions soon followed, including Half-Life: Opposing Force and Source.

The sequel, aptly named Half-Life 2, launched in 2004 and ushered in a new era of episodic content that pushed the story forward. Half-Life 2: Episode Two planted the seeds for a conclusive final episode. However, fans were left waiting. The franchise laid dormant for many painstaking years, with fans pleading for ‘Half-Life 3‘. Instead, Valve has since released Half-Life: Alex, a VR game made for Valve Index, HTC Vive and Oculus headsets.

While Half-Life 3 is gaming’s white whale, fans can replay the original game as it celebrates 25 years on November 19th. For those who have ever experienced Half-Life, this is a great opportunity to do so.

Image credit: Valve

Source: Steam Via: @Wario64