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PC Gamer
PC Gamer
Rich Stanton

Valve considered making a 'B title' before Half-Life, until an exec told Gabe Newell 'that's just not gonna work… the company will fail'

Gabe Newell Valve Monica Harrington
The Valve guy from the Portal 2 intro slowly looks over his shoulder in ominous fashion.

Last year saw the 25th anniversary of Half-Life, one of the most important games in PC history and a spectacular debut for Valve. But in another timeline, it could've been the studio's second game.

Valve co-founder and former chief marketing officer Monica Harrington was on a panel at the recent 2025 Game Developers Conference called "How Valve Became Valve: An Insider's Account." This expanded on Harrington's memories of the crucial early years at the company, and one tidbit concerns how Valve was looking to build up its development strength and team size.

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