One of the most awaited releases in the gaming industry is the third installment in the "Half-Life" series. Indeed, fans have been waiting for "Half-Life 3" for so long that the title has already achieved a near-mythical status in the industry. If speculations are proven correct, fans will have to wait at least two years more to see the next installment in the franchise.

According to The News Independent, a "Half-Life" franchise installment is in the works, but has had to be delayed repeatedly due to unforeseen factors. Allegedly, "Half-Life 3" was slated to be released sooner than the rumored 2018 outing but had to be re-scheduled because Marc Laidlaw left Valve.

Laidlaw had been one of the main collaborators in the "Half-Life" franchise, one of the persons behind the story and gameplay of the previous games under the "Half-Life" series.

In addition, the industry follower stated that Gabe Newell, CEO of Valve, while not opposing a "Half-Life 3" release, is lukewarm to the idea. Newell reportedly said, "The only reason we'd go back and do like a super classic kind of product is if a whole bunch of people just internally at Valve said they wanted to do it and had a reasonable explanation for why."

A "Half-Life 3" installment has been rumored for years now, and developer Valve's reticence in directly confirming or denying these rumors continues to muddle the fate of the much-awaited sequel.

Meanwhile, a number of supposed "leaks" and alleged inside information continue the myth of "Half-Life 3." Recently, it was reported that data-mined information from an "unknown inside source" posted online leaked information from Valve. Allegedly, the project was originally made as a direct sequel to "Half-Life 2: Episode 2," released in 2007. Since then, it has reportedly evolved into a full-fledged "Half-Life 3" sequel and is in slow yet steady development.