10 Amazing Video Game Franchises That Were Abandoned

5. Half-Life

Yes, I know, VR game Half-Life: Alyx came out in 2020, but given the mainline series has been sitting on a cliffhanger for *checks watch* 16 years now, I think we can call this one solidly abandoned.

Even though audiences and critics agree that the Half-Life franchise stands as one of the best video game series of all time, Valve has had a lot of trouble putting Half-Life 3 into action. Even the Twitter account “Is Half Life 3 Out Yet” has given up on its 8 year dedicated quest to let people know whether or not the game was finally out. Half-Life 3 was in development between 2013 and 2014 before being abandoned, while several other Half-Life entries spanning from ports to expansions and VR experiences were at various points in development before all each being cancelled.

Half-Life 2: Episode 3 was due to come out over Christmas in 2007 but it was revealed that Valve were struggling to arrive at a good enough idea to carry the series forward.

And so, the abandonment of Half-Life continues to be one of the greatest gripes in the industry for fans and critics. Especially if you’re not into VR.