Half-Life 2’s 20th anniversary has sparked a massive resurgence in its player base, with a recent 24-hour peak of 52,027 concurrent players—an all-time high since Steam began tracking player numbers in 2008. While this excludes its original 2004 release and the 2007 launch of The Orange Box, the milestone is still remarkable for a single-player game two decades old.
The renewed interest is fueled by several factors, including nostalgia and the buzz surrounding Valve’s recently released two-hour anniversary documentary. However, the primary draw is Valve’s comprehensive new update for the game.
The standout feature of the update is over three and a half hours of brand-new developer commentary, continuing Valve’s tradition of insightful in-game commentary nodes. Fans can now dive deeper into the creative process behind this iconic title.
Other highlights include the consolidation of Half-Life 2, Episode One, Episode Two, and The Lost Coast demo into a single launcher, along with the addition of Steam Workshop support, which promises to breathe new life into the game’s modding community. The update also introduces numerous graphical enhancements and minor fixes, further polishing the classic experience.
It’s been a banner week for Half-Life fans, with the update and documentary complemented by the rediscovery of long-lost development footage and the announcement of an expanded reissue of the Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar art book. With so much happening, it’s a great time to revisit—or experience for the first time—the legendary FPS.