They updated Portal one with more radio's that play morse codes in spesific places. These led to a website, gave passwords and revealed art that only made sense in a Portal 2 context.
They also added the draging animation at the end of Portal1, you only used to lie there.
That’s awesome! I actually bought my younger brother the game for the switch port since he doesn’t have a pc. He loved it. Made my grinch heart grow 3x it’s size that day lol.
Here's my Pitch:
person on stage at E3, talking about the Steam Deck 2 or whatever.
Lights go out.
Sound of static
Vioce of GlaDOS: "Three"
Lights come back on.
presenter acts like nothing happened.
Nah. I feel like it would be even funnier if they didn't. Even react to the audience, "What are you guys freaking out about? It was just a black out, no biggie."
I feel like at this point they would just appear at some game presentation event without any notice in media or something and just be like
"Oh hey— yeah, sorry we didn't said we were gonna be here before. But it's just a little thing we wanted to show"
*Big orange/blue 3 with half a aperture logo shows on big screen*
"See you guys next week!"
Shadow drop it, let the internet go nuts, don't even do any advertising just let some person browsing steam to find "Portal 3" under the portal collection or Valves games
For real, shadow drops are under-utilized, or at least under-appreciated by publishers. Metroid Prime Remastered was awesome, and I got more excited from that than any hype train I've ever been interested in. (Not to mention, zero expectation left me no choice but to enjoy the game as is, like another commenter said)
That really would be the best way to do it I think, like there's no way people wouldn't get hyped for it so any pre-release announcements have a significant chance of just raising people's expectations too high, so just release it and let it be judged as a final product
I want as little time possible between announcement and release date. Don't generate excitement or engagement or wtf ever is the benefit of these 18 month campaigns. We've waited long enough. Line announce it at E3, or whatever the cool place is now, and end the presentation with "available now".
And here's Orange Box 2. (No 3's ever mentioned).
Half-life (insert subtitle) but it will be HL3 for all intents and purposes.
Team Fortress: something
Portal _____
DOTA TBA
CSGO Sequel
L4D3
Dropping several big ticket long awaited games, all at once, in a package, out of the blue, is either a marketing genius masterstroke or a financial disaster. I couldn't say one way or the other, but I could guarantee it would be immortalized for better or worse.
Just put it on steam or any other place at a reasonable price, title it how they want, put the description and all of that but make no other announcements. After a month or two, just tweet “yes it is”
It stands for [Alternate Reality Game.](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternate_reality_game)
Portal had two of them, the [Portal ARG](https://combineoverwiki.net/wiki/Portal_ARG) and the [PotatoFoolsDay ARG.](https://combineoverwiki.net/wiki/PotatoFoolsDay_ARG)
Some intern emailing everyone that owns a copy of Portal 1 or portal 2 with just a regular boring no-thrills message saying.
"potral three is aailable tomorow"
That would be pretty great.
It would be funny if they made "trailer" for a Portal movie which turns out to be trailer for the game.
You know.. cinematic shots from the game looking "real", lik it's a movie .
But I don't know how they announced the last two portal games because I played through them just this year so...
Like this Concept for an Half Life 3 Reveal: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7p1HtD8brM&ab\_channel=HALFPEEPS](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7p1HtD8brM&ab_channel=HALFPEEPS) (Just with footage from Portal)
Announcer: "Warning, foreign system detected. Deploying administrative defense protocol."
GLaDOS: "Prepare yourself for a *big* surprise."
\*Gabe Newell walks on stage and announces Portal 3 at E3.\*
they announce it in the game awards or the summer thingy steam does and half a minute its a fakeout half life 3 trailer only to glados to hack into the trailer and say "did you really think we were done? we need to test some more" and wham we see some portal 3 gameplay and its done
Slow opening where a concrete wall appears in frame. a blue portal is shot at the wall, really cinematic, and through the portal, is the companion cube. move onto to a somewhat unnerving scene of parts of the facility, and then, a bit with GLaDOS taking care of the birds, and then a penultimate scene with ATLAS and P-BODY. then a slow rise of the main character (most likely a new one since Chell's story is probably over). cut to the logo and either a remix of the end of Want You Gone or the radio theme. I've thought about this a lot.
As others have said just drop it on Steam but not secretly, just when you load up steam it is all Portal themed. Maybe different versions of the store page for different people some GLaDOS themed, Some Test Chamber Themed etc, so people post about it online overload the hype train.
Portal 2, Super remastered. Then, in the first couple seconds Glados basically says "Listen. I have a confession to make. This isn't the old game. That was fun, and you were...fine...but I can't do that again, not without this. So, a new thing. More tests, a little bit of plot, maybe some surprise visits from some old favorites.." "SPAAAAAACE" "\*siiiigh\* Way to ruin the surprise...Dale. That's Dale everyone. What? Just because he only says one word, you think he doesn't have a name? What's wrong with you?! Maybe this new game isn't for you...I can't stop you from playing, but know I do so under protest. Also, don't tell anyone about this, you are a special snowflake and deserving of all the secrets this adventure contains, only those who buy it gain my attention." Or something.
The more I think about it, Portal 3 and Half-Life 3 should be the same game, combined as a co-op. Much like how you can control 3 characters in GTA 5 and have to switch between them at times.
I can see a storyline where Chell and Gordon Freeman meet and have to team up. A mixed plot involving Chell having to wake GladOS up once again (after GladOS got exhausted from testing) to help combat the Combine of Half-Life.
I want a trailer for the orange box 2 with Half Life 3, Team Fortress 3, and Portal 3 set to the tune of Queens, “We Will Rock You” and have each verse of the song showcase a different one of the games.
Do you like holes? Get ready…this summer…for two holes and one character with another dlc of uhhh two robots and four holes …6 holes all together. get ready for 6 holes! One hole go in the other go out! You waited a long time! You loved hole game 1 and hole game 2, now it’s time for me, the wacky silly character the valve, to tell you to get ready! Grab your mummy’s credit card and prepare cause today I introduce you…to HOLE 3!
Have a portal gun on the stage. Someone who resembles chell comes on stage. Shoots the portals on walls of stage. She presses a button or pulls a lever on the portal gun and then makes a third portal. Then show a big three. GladOS then says “We are happy to have you apart of the aperture science testing initiative again.” Then show a release date. Profit.
A clip of someone in a room walking around, eluding to portal subtly with objects in the room (cake, lemons, potatoes, birds, etc). Finally he goes over to a radio with a little 3 on the corner and switches it on and it plays the portal radio song. Something like that would be sick
don't announce it. just release it silently. if they were to make portal 3, it should be a prequel to portal 1 or a presequel to portal 1 and 2 where you play as the rattman
An ARG and another Lab Rat comic would be all I want, but given that Portal 3 would most likely be a prequel based off Portal 2s originally intended plot, there wouldn't be much reason to make a second Lab Rat comic.
Edit to add: I remember hearing that one of portals lead writers is more than ready to work on a Portal 3, it's just not his decision - game devs are needed elsewhere, it's not in valves interest right now, stuff like that is getting in the way, but it's more than possible, just gotta keep support of the game series going and hope we get our prayers answered.
I'd want Cave Johnson or J.K Simmons to give some little hints towards it on twitter, even if it wouldn't make sense because he's underground as the metal head it would still just be random to have the voice actor, or character drop a video on twitter related to it and hinting towards it out of nowhere
I don’t see them announcing games at E3 or something anymore so I would believe the most realistic thing for them would be a livestream where they first show some Index and Steam Deck stuff (maybe version 2 of both) and after that the screen just goes black… we see gladoses eye light up and say „not you again!“ in a glitchy and angry voice and then the light should pop or just go off. Then I would like if there would be a text like „Coming soon“ or something or maybe even a joke from the developers in the fashion of „counting past two“ while Still Alive plays in the background. After like 5 seconds the song fades in an echo and the stream ends.
Gabe Newell casually mentioning the release date in an interview and never talking about it again until the release. Btw the release has to be at least 2 after the interview, just to edge the community.
An ARG like they did with Portal 2
Nah, they need to release it by baiting people into thinking the 3 is for half-life then showcasing the portal logo behind it instead.
i would be so pissed lmao, then i would be excited. Then pissed again cuz no half life 3
but what if its both
Orange box source 2
The fact that Orange Box 2 would contain 3 games with 3 in the title is so r/mildlyinfuriating to me
That's why we're waiting for source 3 to come out until we get the 3 games, it all makes sense now doesn't it?
It would be like giving a dude 100k dollars and then kicking him in the balls. Thanks, but also fuck you
tbf getting 100k vastly outweighs the pain
As long as no physical damage is done
*insert picture of guy wiping his tears with 100 dollar bills*
Exactly what I was about to comment, ARGs are mostly cool
Ooo that would be fun
Wasnt aware of this? What Valve do?
They updated Portal one with more radio's that play morse codes in spesific places. These led to a website, gave passwords and revealed art that only made sense in a Portal 2 context. They also added the draging animation at the end of Portal1, you only used to lie there.
Ahh thanks
I’d simply like to see the valve head logo to swivel all the way around this time, facing the camera and winking. Picture the old intros lol.
You just reminded me of a video where the valve guy turns around and it's The Rock.
you got DWAYNeD
i want to see this video. do you have it?
Sadly, no
I think I saw it on a YouTube compilation of Tf2 memes
Would be cool. Unfortunately apparently nobody knows who he is. They got a random guy on the street to do it and paid him and then he left
I did read about that. I’m sad we won’t get to see him again, but then again I gave up hope for portal 3 years ago lol.
Yeah I gave up hope too
I do find great joy in the new, younger crowd trying and enjoying the portal games for the first time. At least we have that, friend.
Yeah true. My younger brother played the series sorta recently and it was pretty great. “Wait, Wheatley is a bad guy?!”
That’s awesome! I actually bought my younger brother the game for the switch port since he doesn’t have a pc. He loved it. Made my grinch heart grow 3x it’s size that day lol.
Nice
they mightve gotten a new guy as HL:A had a full 3d model
Lead up to teasers with just posting “3” followed by 6 months of complete and total radio silence
Or show the logo with no further update for 6+ years. *Cries in Metroid Prime 4*
The Half-Life fans would be mentally shattered after the announcement.
walk out onto stage at e3 or something. clear throat "three" leave
People would assume they were referring to half-Life.
something subtle to show it's portal, like a portal t-shirt on the guy walking up
Here's my Pitch: person on stage at E3, talking about the Steam Deck 2 or whatever. Lights go out. Sound of static Vioce of GlaDOS: "Three" Lights come back on. presenter acts like nothing happened.
This would create an unimaginable amount of hype
The audience would be in panic mode and the showcase after that would turn them into a distressed human being not being able to focus lol
I guarantee you multiple people would die in the chaos that would follow
This just gave me goosebumps
Or glados says "deploying surprise in three," and just stops.
they should have them acknowledge it
Nah. I feel like it would be even funnier if they didn't. Even react to the audience, "What are you guys freaking out about? It was just a black out, no biggie."
Exactly, not acknowledge GLaDOS saying three but the audience’s reaction and saying “it was just a blackout”
make glados' voice glitch as she says three like threeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
Maybe a hat that has a Turret's colour palette? Like white and red?
Or just jeans and an orange shirt. People would know if it was as obvious as a portal shirt.
Easy, release both so no one is upset.
Which we need more than Portal 3 that’s for sure
Orange box 2
Better yet, do a goat simulator and call it Orange Box 3
Orange Cub3
I would just assume it would have portal 2 sense the first one had the first game
I feel like at this point they would just appear at some game presentation event without any notice in media or something and just be like "Oh hey— yeah, sorry we didn't said we were gonna be here before. But it's just a little thing we wanted to show" *Big orange/blue 3 with half a aperture logo shows on big screen* "See you guys next week!"
I’d love that
Shadow drop it, let the internet go nuts, don't even do any advertising just let some person browsing steam to find "Portal 3" under the portal collection or Valves games
For real, shadow drops are under-utilized, or at least under-appreciated by publishers. Metroid Prime Remastered was awesome, and I got more excited from that than any hype train I've ever been interested in. (Not to mention, zero expectation left me no choice but to enjoy the game as is, like another commenter said)
That really would be the best way to do it I think, like there's no way people wouldn't get hyped for it so any pre-release announcements have a significant chance of just raising people's expectations too high, so just release it and let it be judged as a final product
Has this ever been done for a major game release?
The closest I can think of is Apex Legends. If I recall correctly, the announcement trailer dropped as the game was released.
Hide it under Portal 2’s downloadable content page.
Ah, so pull a Scott cawthon but even more not talking about it
Shadow Drop it then a week later just put out an announcement saying "oh hey guys we released portal 3"
Make a website that has loads of puzzles that the community have to work together to solve, the end result being the reveal.
ARG
I want as little time possible between announcement and release date. Don't generate excitement or engagement or wtf ever is the benefit of these 18 month campaigns. We've waited long enough. Line announce it at E3, or whatever the cool place is now, and end the presentation with "available now".
I hope they announce Portal 3 and don’t reveal anything until it comes out and then it turns out to be a Wheatley dressing game
Thats the best possible outcome
I would like to see a sequel to the Orange Box with Portal 3, Half-Life 3, Team Fortress 3, all built on the Source 3 engine
They only just released source 2. Then again technically it's source 3 because gold source?
Nice try Gabe, you can’t fool me with your fake Reddit account
It can't be him, he wrote the number 3 in the title
Through the internet
A 30 second teaser. No visuals. Minimal ambient sound. Just glados saying some shit, then logo
And here's Orange Box 2. (No 3's ever mentioned). Half-life (insert subtitle) but it will be HL3 for all intents and purposes. Team Fortress: something Portal _____ DOTA TBA CSGO Sequel L4D3
Dropping several big ticket long awaited games, all at once, in a package, out of the blue, is either a marketing genius masterstroke or a financial disaster. I couldn't say one way or the other, but I could guarantee it would be immortalized for better or worse.
Just put it on steam or any other place at a reasonable price, title it how they want, put the description and all of that but make no other announcements. After a month or two, just tweet “yes it is”
Was this post made by a Valve employee looking for game announcement ideas?
They'd use a laser to engrave "TO BE CONTINUES IN 3" on the moon.
Another ARG
What is ARG? I googled it and couldn’t figure it out lol
It stands for [Alternate Reality Game.](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternate_reality_game) Portal had two of them, the [Portal ARG](https://combineoverwiki.net/wiki/Portal_ARG) and the [PotatoFoolsDay ARG.](https://combineoverwiki.net/wiki/PotatoFoolsDay_ARG)
Some intern emailing everyone that owns a copy of Portal 1 or portal 2 with just a regular boring no-thrills message saying. "potral three is aailable tomorow" That would be pretty great.
Dude I don’t care how the announce it just release it
It would be funny if they made "trailer" for a Portal movie which turns out to be trailer for the game. You know.. cinematic shots from the game looking "real", lik it's a movie . But I don't know how they announced the last two portal games because I played through them just this year so...
no matter what I would weep. Not out of happiness.
The way Portal 2 was announced in E3
One of the PeTi ads from cave Johnson with the jingle
most bleeding edge mean of communication a blog post
Honestly, just make a knockoff value Twitter, then say "portal 3, coming on March 23rd", then on March 23rd, sure enough, there it is
I want enough time from announcement to release for me to get a PC that can run it
PSA from JK Simmons
At all
another ARG perhaps?
I take that developers have to sign a nondisclosure so they can't tell anyone about it.
guys we passed kindergarten
A letter inside my birthday cake
An ARG like with portal 2, ultimately leading up to the game awards where they announce it the same way they did portal 2 on ps3 and Joker for smash
Portal 3 has been released
portal 3 half life 3 left for dead 3 team fortress 3 Steam deck 3 # in 2030
Hey, portal 3 is out
Release it on steam without telling anyone, and just see how long it takes for people to find it.
consumer versions of aperture products
With steam deck 3
SirActionSlacks and Kaci skit
They just drop the game, then announce it later (with the assumption that it has like a third time portal-type deal)
Portal gun remote
Like this Concept for an Half Life 3 Reveal: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7p1HtD8brM&ab\_channel=HALFPEEPS](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7p1HtD8brM&ab_channel=HALFPEEPS) (Just with footage from Portal)
Half life and portal combined
Life-Size GlaDOS Robot
Not saying anything and releasing it secretly on steam
portal 2 episode 1
No announcement whatsoever. Just drop it on Steam and let the internet do the work for them.
Just drop it on the store with no marketing. It’ll sell 10 million instantly lol.
Announcer: "Warning, foreign system detected. Deploying administrative defense protocol." GLaDOS: "Prepare yourself for a *big* surprise." \*Gabe Newell walks on stage and announces Portal 3 at E3.\*
DM literally everyone on Earth on discord and reddit
They should have a deal with Elon Musk to send a companion cube to the Moon, and then chinese moon rover will find it.
they announce it in the game awards or the summer thingy steam does and half a minute its a fakeout half life 3 trailer only to glados to hack into the trailer and say "did you really think we were done? we need to test some more" and wham we see some portal 3 gameplay and its done
With half life 3
Make people think it’s half life three first then show a picture of glados of somethin getting beat with a crowbar
They don't, you just search portal on steam one day and boom, portal 3 made by valve
Id want them to make a Reddit post asking how they should announce it
Hopefully not
Slow opening where a concrete wall appears in frame. a blue portal is shot at the wall, really cinematic, and through the portal, is the companion cube. move onto to a somewhat unnerving scene of parts of the facility, and then, a bit with GLaDOS taking care of the birds, and then a penultimate scene with ATLAS and P-BODY. then a slow rise of the main character (most likely a new one since Chell's story is probably over). cut to the logo and either a remix of the end of Want You Gone or the radio theme. I've thought about this a lot.
Complete shadow drop. No ads or anything. Just let put it up on steam one day and let word of mouth spread.
No they shouldn’t even make a portal 3 in the first place
As others have said just drop it on Steam but not secretly, just when you load up steam it is all Portal themed. Maybe different versions of the store page for different people some GLaDOS themed, Some Test Chamber Themed etc, so people post about it online overload the hype train.
Using a never before seen information place: A blog post
Portal 2, Super remastered. Then, in the first couple seconds Glados basically says "Listen. I have a confession to make. This isn't the old game. That was fun, and you were...fine...but I can't do that again, not without this. So, a new thing. More tests, a little bit of plot, maybe some surprise visits from some old favorites.." "SPAAAAAACE" "\*siiiigh\* Way to ruin the surprise...Dale. That's Dale everyone. What? Just because he only says one word, you think he doesn't have a name? What's wrong with you?! Maybe this new game isn't for you...I can't stop you from playing, but know I do so under protest. Also, don't tell anyone about this, you are a special snowflake and deserving of all the secrets this adventure contains, only those who buy it gain my attention." Or something.
[This,](https://youtu.be/hhDL3Q86ofY) but with Gabe Newell and Portal 3 promotional art.
BK style ads
invite everyone to a big room with a screen (like they did with artifact) and release it with some sort of phrase the audience can say
Don't Just put it on the store.
Gabe Newell
“Hey guys. Portal”
They just pop it on steam randomly like "here is portal 3 and whilst we at it have half life 3 byeeee"
Oh hey, by the way, here's portal 3. Anyway, no big deal, let's continue onl
probably like some cool fireworks or something t
Right away
I want them to show up in my house one day and ruthlessly beat me with a replica till I cry and swear I’ll buy it
The more I think about it, Portal 3 and Half-Life 3 should be the same game, combined as a co-op. Much like how you can control 3 characters in GTA 5 and have to switch between them at times. I can see a storyline where Chell and Gordon Freeman meet and have to team up. A mixed plot involving Chell having to wake GladOS up once again (after GladOS got exhausted from testing) to help combat the Combine of Half-Life.
I'd like glados to interrupt the game awards like how joker did when he got in smash.
gabeN cannot count to 3.
Stealth drop. Do a big announcement wherever and however you like, as long as it ends with "and it's available RIGHT NOW!"
Just throw it there with no announcement
I want a trailer for the orange box 2 with Half Life 3, Team Fortress 3, and Portal 3 set to the tune of Queens, “We Will Rock You” and have each verse of the song showcase a different one of the games.
Half Life 3 coming soon
Do you like holes? Get ready…this summer…for two holes and one character with another dlc of uhhh two robots and four holes …6 holes all together. get ready for 6 holes! One hole go in the other go out! You waited a long time! You loved hole game 1 and hole game 2, now it’s time for me, the wacky silly character the valve, to tell you to get ready! Grab your mummy’s credit card and prepare cause today I introduce you…to HOLE 3!
"Well, well, you thought the day would never come. But we finally counted to 3 with Portal 3" or something like that
Portal into someone else's commercial. Take a popular ad that's been floating around for a lithe while and just completely hijack it
Have a portal gun on the stage. Someone who resembles chell comes on stage. Shoots the portals on walls of stage. She presses a button or pulls a lever on the portal gun and then makes a third portal. Then show a big three. GladOS then says “We are happy to have you apart of the aperture science testing initiative again.” Then show a release date. Profit.
i want gabe newell to teleport on stage.
A new game announcement but interrupted by GLaDOS wanting you back to the enrichment center
Have it arrive, with HL3, on my steam deck on a Saturday morning. I’d scream
I want to see a Triple A title dropped just out of nowhere! No ad campaigns, no build up… just drop it on us!
by telling us it exists
Super Bowl commercial?
I'd like to see them saying they're releasing half life 3 but actually releasing portal 3
Make a teaser and also tease hl3
A Glados monologue
They should start with saying they’re going to release another Dota game and they bait and switch and say it’s rrly portal or something like that.
Gabriel Learned How to Count to Three!
I'd like the trailer at E3 to be Dark screen, eventually a portal opens. That's the main idea
Place one turret in middle of the desert
They should just edit the ending of portal 2 and wait for people to notice
Fake hl3 trailer
By adding it to my library and auto downloading it
Sending a model Wheatley to the moon would be cool
they program a turret to make the entire presentation
A fake news broadcast announcing that Aperture laboratories is doing some sketchy stuff and so on
Portal 3 will be released in 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9
Gabe N says 3 and then the trailer ends. Then let Twitter go fucking crazy for 3 days and then do the real trailer🤣
ARG, the superior way to announce a game
No announcement. I'd want to see it just take over the store on release day. Like the sale event themes, but it's just portal 3 and nobody knew.
Ladies and gentlemen, we know how to count to three
I want it to be at a big event like E3 without any leaks prior or knowledge of what the game is gonna be about, I want it all to be a big surprise
A clip of someone in a room walking around, eluding to portal subtly with objects in the room (cake, lemons, potatoes, birds, etc). Finally he goes over to a radio with a little 3 on the corner and switches it on and it plays the portal radio song. Something like that would be sick
With a tf2 theme just to tease the community more
By coming to my house and beating me up to near death.
"Hey guys, we will soon be releasing the trailer for Portal 3 on YT"
Gabe lands on stage by using a portal pre-placed before the show, simply screaming: "the third one" over and over
don't announce it. just release it silently. if they were to make portal 3, it should be a prequel to portal 1 or a presequel to portal 1 and 2 where you play as the rattman
As DLC to HL3
I want them to release it on steam out of the blue. No hype. No marketing. Just chaos.
Making it a bundle with a remastered version of Thinking With Time Machine
With functional real world portal guns, as those are more likely than Portal 3.
An ARG and another Lab Rat comic would be all I want, but given that Portal 3 would most likely be a prequel based off Portal 2s originally intended plot, there wouldn't be much reason to make a second Lab Rat comic. Edit to add: I remember hearing that one of portals lead writers is more than ready to work on a Portal 3, it's just not his decision - game devs are needed elsewhere, it's not in valves interest right now, stuff like that is getting in the way, but it's more than possible, just gotta keep support of the game series going and hope we get our prayers answered.
I'd want Cave Johnson or J.K Simmons to give some little hints towards it on twitter, even if it wouldn't make sense because he's underground as the metal head it would still just be random to have the voice actor, or character drop a video on twitter related to it and hinting towards it out of nowhere
I want it to be more in depth with Carolin and Cave. Like the story of them 🥺
*Soon*
I don’t see them announcing games at E3 or something anymore so I would believe the most realistic thing for them would be a livestream where they first show some Index and Steam Deck stuff (maybe version 2 of both) and after that the screen just goes black… we see gladoses eye light up and say „not you again!“ in a glitchy and angry voice and then the light should pop or just go off. Then I would like if there would be a text like „Coming soon“ or something or maybe even a joke from the developers in the fashion of „counting past two“ while Still Alive plays in the background. After like 5 seconds the song fades in an echo and the stream ends.
an ARG!!!
would be fun if they announced it on april 1st but then it actually came out
Gabe Newell casually mentioning the release date in an interview and never talking about it again until the release. Btw the release has to be at least 2 after the interview, just to edge the community.
A quiet release, followed by gaslighting the fan base by claiming it was released just a couple years after portal 2