Half-Life 2 breaks its concurrent player record following free 20th anniversary update

by Danny Craig  · 
Half-Life 2 breaks its concurrent player record following free 20th anniversary update
Valve

Valve's iconic Half-Life 2 has reached a new peak concurrent player count 20 years after its original release, thanks to a limited time free release and new content update.

The details:

  • To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the legendary FPS title's original 2004 release, Valve has released a new update that includes commentary from its original developers, and the addition of the previously standalone Episode 1 and 2 expansions to the base game, allowing for a single playthrough of all of its content. Steam Workshop support has also been added, bringing it up to date with more modern titles and making the mod installation process easier.

  • According to SteamDB, the game's concurrent player count rose to 64,085 on Sunday after it was made available for free to all Steam users for a limited time. Because SteamDB lacks data prior to 2008, it can only confirm that this is the game's highest peak since then, but this weekend's numbers are unlikely to have been matched at any point in the past. Many players still had older systems that couldn't run the title at a decent frame rate when it was released, as opposed to now, when almost any modern PC can easily reach 60 FPS.

  • Along with the update, Secret Tape has released a new documentary detailing the events of Half-Life 2's development, including the leak of the game's beta version a year before launch, Valve's financial struggles, the creation of Steam, and legal challenges with its publisher. The documentary also includes interviews with notable Half-Life 2 developers, including Gabe Newell, as well as footage from the development of the scrapped Episode 3 expansion.

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