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With the release of Aperture Desk Job, a short game made by Valve to introduce users to the Steam Deck's features, came another set of data for miners to pore over. Notable Valve dataminer Tyler McVicker has found a number of references in the game's code to "Citadel," a game set in the Half-Life universe with rumours going back to 2019. Of course, since this is just leftover data found in Aperture Desk Job, and nothing has officially been confirmed by Valve, everything here should be taken with a grain of salt.

According to McVicker, a significant number of Citadel code comments have ended up in Aperture Desk Job; "way too many to read through in this video." Based on his findings, however, and the code comments he does read, we can get a decent idea of what Citadel might be. He describes it as "a Combines versus rebels, team-based, squad-based, class-based, RTS-FPS hybrid" with a single-player campaign. Essentially, players will control a commander who gets an overhead view of the map and uses bots to fight the enemy. The bots come in different classes, can be customized with different abilities, split into squads, and then commanded individually, by squad, or all at once. Players will also be able to set foot on the battlefield, either as the commander or taking control of a bot, to fight more directly as an FPS.

As McVicker notes, however, the gameplay elements are separate from the data about the Combines and rebels, so the finished game could end up unrelated to Half-Life altogether.

McVicker also found data related to three other possible Valve titles, but doesn't have any information on them. These three games are: some kind of follow-up to Half-Life: Alyx, a recreation of a cancelled Portal sequel, and a Source 2 port of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.

 

[Xzi]

He describes it as "a Combines versus rebels, team-based, squad-based, class-based, RTS-FPS hybrid" with a single-player campaign. Essentially, players will control a commander who gets an overhead view of the map and uses bots to fight the enemy. The bots come in different classes, can be customized with different abilities, split into squads, and then commanded individually, by squad, or all at once. Players will also be able to set foot on the battlefield, either as the commander or taking control of a bot, to fight more directly as an FPS.

Command and Conquer Renegade as developed by Valve? Sounds like a dream game! Hopefully it's a project that actually sees the light of day.

 

[shaunj66]

some kind of follow-up to Half-Life: Alyx​

Please be true and please be in VR again. One of my favourite games of all time.

 

[RedoLane]

This could be a title optimized for the Steam Deck which encourages people to use the touchscreen, if it really is an RTS of some sort and has an overhead-view map.

 

[ZeroFX]

Some times I think valve left these intentionally, these guys xD.

Tyler McVicker

lol'ed at that one.

 

[ChaoticPumpkin]

While I imagine it was just an accident, it almost feels like valve wanted people to find that, they’ve always been supported mods so they should have known this would happen.

 

[Foxi4]

I have a feeling that *if* Valve bothers to make a video game these days, it’s to leverage another product. This was the case with both Alyx and Desk Job, so I suspect it might be another VR project, or something that benefits from a touchscreen, like a strategy or a tower defense game.

 

[SuperDan]

a VR Game ? ....please!

 

[Jayro]

No more *VR only* games, please. People are having a hard enough time modding Alyx to work for us keyboard and mouse users.

 

[HarveyHouston]

Wow, all this from a free title that just walks you through the Steam Deck controls? Valve, your secrets are slipping!

 

[Xzi]

I have a feeling that *if* Valve bothers to make a video game these days, it’s to leverage another product. This was the case with both Alyx and Desk Job, so I suspect it might be another VR project, or something that benefits from a touchscreen, like a strategy or a tower defense game.

I could see a C&C Renegade-type game working very well for crossplay between VR and flatscreen. Would be compatible with both Index and Steam Deck that way.

 

[k7ra]

Finally! Half-Life 4!