Return to Ravenholm

Return to Ravenholm, also known as Ravenholm or Half-Life 2: Episode Four, are the working titles of a canceled Half-Life 2 Episode developed by Arkane Studios from 2006 to 2007. Set in the zombie-infested town of Ravenholm, it was to take place sometime before the end of Half-Life 2: Episode Two.

Overview

 * In a PC Gamer article about the future of the Half-Life series published in May 2006, it is stated that an Episode Four following the end of the Half-Life 2 Episodes trilogy story arc is planned. It is to be developed outside of Valve, with a stand-alone plot.


 * In December 2007, Episode Three is said to be only the end of the current Half-Life 2 story arc, not the end of the overall Half-Life franchise, nor the episodic releases, with even more episodic games unconnected to the current story arc to be made. This hints at the Episode Four mentioned in 2006.


 * In December 2007 as well, Gabe Newell states in an interview that they want to expand many pieces of the original story only merely referenced in the previous games, and develop games about Alyx Vance or Dog.


 * In March 2011, Electronic Arts concept artist and 3D modeler Randy Humphries posts in his Coroflot profile six pieces of concept art for what appears to be a canceled Half-Life project, with no further detail (one of a canal, one of railway tracks along a canal, one of a place named "Haven", one of a building interior, one of two presumably Combine units, very different from the current ones). Though it has not been confirmed, it may be the canceled Episode Four mentioned in 2006.


 * Following the network intrusion of Eidos' servers in May 2011, and the subsequent data leak, community members report that among the leaked CVs are several CVs of people who appear to have worked on an Arkane/Valve project built on the Source engine, sometimes unnamed, sometimes titled "Half-Life 2: Episode 4", "Ravenholm" or "Return to Ravenholm" from 2006 to 2007 (the people include Sébastien Gaillard, Nims Bun, Florent Perrin or Régis Capotosto).


 * On January 13, Marc Laidlaw confirms the rumor that a fourth and canceled Half-Life 2 Episode, titled Return to Ravenholm at that time, was developed by Arkane Studios from 2006 to 2007. As big fans of Arkane, Valve wanted to come up with a common project. Valve threw ideas around, Arkane built "some cool stuff", but Valve eventually decided that it didn't make sense to pursue it at the time. They felt like a lot of the staples of Ravenholm (Headcrabs and Zombies) were pretty much played out, and the fact that it would have to take place sometime before the end of Episode Two (so as not to advance beyond where Valve had pushed the story) was a creative constraint that would hamper the project as well as Arkane. Episode Four and Return to Ravenholm are also confirmed by Laidlaw to be the same thing.