'Half-Life 3' release date: Game to make appearance at E3 2016?

Will fans see Alyx Vance and Dr. Gordon Freeman once again in"Half-Life 3"?Valve

Gamers are still hoping that "Half-Life 3" will see the light of day in the near future. It's been more than a decade since its predecessor was released and fans believe that it's about time a new iteration of the hit first-person shooter is put out.

The latest "Half-Life 3" release date rumors suggest that the installment will finally be out later this year. There are no details about this claim, though. What's sure is that the game is long overdue and with the proven lasting popularity of the franchise, developer Valve will benefit releasing "Half-Life 3" this year.

Ever since the release of "Half-Life 2: Episode Two" in 2007, fans have been waiting for a new "Half-Life" title. At that time, a third "Episode" was supposed to be released instead of a full-on standalone "Half-Life 3." However, Valve retired the episodic models in 2011, further hinting that a new series out of "Half-Life" will be born.

Rumor has it that "Half-Life 3" has been in development since 2009 and that much of the game's aspects are complete, which makes it possible for a 2016 release. The game is allegedly being designed for virtual reality as well.

Valve has always been tight-lipped when it comes to "Half-Life 3" but fans expect that at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in June, the game studio will give details on the game. However, if no information will still come out of E3 2016, fans don't expect the game to ever release.

And while a release date for "Half-Life 3" and even the title itself is nowhere in sight, fans of the shooter have something else to kill time with – a "Half-Life" movie.

While promoting his new film "10 Cloverfield Lane," director J.J. Abrams, who is involved in the project, spoke to IGN about the "Half-Life" movie as well as the "Portal" film to be adapted by another one of Valve's franchises

Abrams confirmed that the movies are still "in development," although there's a lot of work that's still needs to be done. "We've got writers, and we're working on both those stories," the filmmaker said.