(Valve)Has "Half-Life 3" been canceled?

Valve Corporation has not released any update for its massively popular series "Half-Life" since 2007's "Half-Life 2: Episode Two." Now, recent departures from key members of the "Half-Life" development team seem to suggest that "Half-Life 3" has been canceled.

Back in January, reddit user TeddyWolf decided to email "Half-Life" writer Marc Laidlaw to inquire about the release of "Half-Life 3." Unfortunately, Laidlaw replied to say that he had officially retired from Valve, and as such, was no longer privy to any new developments.

"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," the writer said.

Laidlaw still considers Valve as his second home since having worked for the company for 18 years. However, he decided to retire because he felt that he needed to take a break from the chaotic environment of game production. Instead, he has decided to pursue self-directed writing projects.

Then, a month later, "Half-Life" animator Doug Wood was also confirmed to have retired from Valve.

While Valve has not made any announcements, many fans have taken the news of Laidlaw and Wood's departures to mean that "Half-Life 3" may not be coming at all. They have since turned their attention to the upcoming "Half-Life" film adaptation. The film version was initially confirmed back in 2013.

Recently, while doing promotions for "10 Cloverfield Lane," producer J.J. Abrams was asked to give an update on the planned movies based on the "Half-Life" and "Portal" video games.

"They're in development. And we've got writers, and we're working on both those stories. But nothing that would be an exciting update," he told IGN.

Loyal "Half-Life" fans are hoping that the release of the "Half-Life" movie will give them a much-desired glimpse into how "Half-Life 3" could have been.

Stay tuned for the latest news and updates as they are released.