It's been 10 years since Valve confirmed the launch of "Half-Life 2: Episode Three," which was supposed to arrive by Christmas 2007. Since then, Valve has not made any new announcements regarding its massively popular and award-winning "Half-Life" franchise. While loyal fans continue to hope for the arrival of "Half-Life 3," it doesn't look like the third installment will be arriving any time soon.

Over the past few years, Valve has put most of its focus on Steam. Due to the popularity of the multiplayer gaming experience, Valve developed more community-based games and found itself veering away from first-person games like "Half-Life."

Earlier this year, news of Marc Laidlaw's retirement seemed to confirm that "Half-Life 3" had been shelved indefinitely. Laidlaw joined Valve in 1997 and was the lead writer for "Half-Life" and "Half-Life 2." When asked about the future of the "Half-Life" franchise, Laidlaw revealed that he was no longer privy to that kind of information, but from his responses, it didn't seem like he was optimistic either.

"Where Valve may choose to take it in the future is not in my hands. I have been a grateful co-creator, but my time working on the series is behind me. Since I no longer speak for Valve, it would be inappropriate for me to answer questions or speculate openly on the fate of the franchise," he said.

The decision to release "Half-Life 3" will be entirely up to Valve. However, without an official statement from the game developer, its loyal fans are left waiting in the dark. Some fans aren't even hoping for a third installment; rather, all they want is an official statement from Valve.

Hopefully, Valve will take notice of the undying demand for "Half-Life 3" and will find a way to use the game's popularity to release something new.