The video game world was treated to a little bit of excitement earlier this week when a trademark for Half-Life 3 appeared in Europe which led to speculation that Valve may be preparing an announcement for the long-awaited game. Much has happened since then, but on Oct. 4 new information came forth via NeoGAF which suggests the Half-Life 3 trademark may not be valid.
According to information uncovered by ValveTime.net, the trademark for Half-Life 3 has been removed from the OHIM website – also known as the Trademarks and Design Registration Office of the European Union website. ValveTime.net concludes that due to the short listing period for Half-Life 3 that the can “identify that the trademark's listing was more than likely a hoax intended to generate fake buzz.”
Despite the trademark being removed and likely a fake, there is still hope that Valve is developing the title. Members of NeoGAF have uncovered via Valve’s bug tracker that it appears that 46 people are working on Half-Life 3. This isn’t confirmation the game is being made, but it does give the faithful something to cling to for the time being.
