One of the most beloved PC gaming series of all time just returned with a stunning trailer

"Half-Life Alyx"/ Valve

• Valve revealed "Half-Life: Alyx" with a trailer earlier today, and confirmed a March 2020 release window for the new game.
• "Half-Life: Alyx" is the first entry in the "Half-Life" series in more than 12 years, and Valve says "Half-Life: Alyx" will be a "flagship VR game."
• Valve is best-known as the company behind Steam, the most popular online store for computer games. However, Valve has a long history of video-game development and has made investments in virtual-reality technology.
• The new game has players take on the role of "Half-Life 2" co-star Alyx Vance for a story taking place between "Half-Life 1" and "Half-Life 2."
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After more than 12 years, Valve has finally given fans a look at the future of the "Half-Life" series with a trailer for "Half-Life: Alyx."

Valve described "Half-Life Alyx" as the company's "flagship VR game," and it looks to offer an interesting spin on "Half-Life's" first-person-shooter formula.

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Valve launched a first-party VR headset, the Valve Index, earlier this year, and "Half-Life Alyx" will be available for free to all Valve Index owners when its released in March 2020. The game will be available for purchase on the Oculus Rift, Oculus Quest (if you tether it to a PC), HTC Vive, and Windows Mixed Reality headsets.

While Valve is best-known for operating Steam, the massively popular online gaming platform, the company was built on the success of the original "Half-Life." The last game in the series, "Half-Life 2: Episode 2," ended with a shocking cliffhanger back in 2007. Fans spent years asking Valve to offer a conclusion to the series, but their pleas went unanswered - until now.

"Half-Life Alyx"/Valve

Concept art for "Half-Life Alyx."

The "Half-Life" series has always been tied to major innovations in the PC gaming space. The first game was one of the most innovative video games of the 90s, pairing a flexible, innovative game design with a rich sci-fi horror story. The physics engine of "Half-Life" eventually became the basis for "CounterStrike" and "Team Fortress," two of the most influential online shooting games of all time.

Similarly, the Source Engine developed for "Half-Life 2" has provided the foundation for a number of popular games over the last decade, including this year's "Apex Legends." "Half-Life 2" was also the first game to require Steam to install, introducing millions of players to a new type of online gaming platform. Steam has skyrocketed in popularity in the years sense, with more than 90 million monthly users.

Though the virtual reality business isn't exactly new, "Half-Life Alyx" could spark fresh interest in an industry that has struggled to win over hardcore gamers. "Half-Life Alyx" won't offer an conclusion to the cliffhanger that has kept fans on edge for more than decade, but its exciting to see Valve return to the beloved franchise.