Half-Life 2 overview

Overview

Half-Life 2 comes from Valve and is published by Valve. It arrived on Steam on Nov 16, 2004, and it sits naturally among Single-player, Steam Achievements, Full controller support, Steam Trading Cards, Captions available, Steam Workshop, Camera Comfort, and Custom Volume Controls. SteamPulse tracks it across Windows, Linux, Steam, and Xbox so readers get a quick useful snapshot, not just a wall of numbers.

Players and reviews

Half-Life 2's latest SteamPulse observation recorded 2,204 players at 5 October 2026 - 18:09:46 UTC, with a tracked peak near 64,085. This peak is the highest value in the available SteamPulse record and may not include activity before tracking began. Player reaction is 98% positive across 277,511 reviews.

Language and system requirements

Half-Life 2 is available in 27 languages including:

5 regional rating boards including usk, agcom, dejus, steam germany, and igrs

Sales, recommendations, and streams

Half-Life 2 has sold up to 23,859,940 units and has 203,318 Steam recommendations. The estimated VGI revenue is $140,707,722. On Twitch, 7 streamers are live with around 27 total watchers.

Half-Life 2 overview details

Half-Life 2 combines live player counts with reviews, pricing, platform support, Store metadata, dated player history, media, recent news, and related games.

Steam Store description

The Seven Hour War is lost. Earth has surrendered. The Black Mesa incident is a distant memory. The player again picks up the crowbar of research scientist Gordon Freeman, who finds himself on an alien-infested Earth being picked to the bone, its resources depleted, its populace dwindling. Freeman is thrust into the unenviable role of rescuing the world from the wrong he unleashed back at Black Mesa. And a lot of people he cares about are counting on him. Half-Life 2 is the landmark first-person shooter that “forged the framework for the next generation of games” (PC Gamer). Experience a thrilling campaign packed with unprecedented levels of immersive world-building, boundary-pushing physics, and exhilarating combat. Includes the Half-Life 2 Episode One and Two Expansions The story of Half-Life 2 continues with Episodes One and Two, full-featured Half-Life adventures set during the aftermath of the base game. They are accessible from the main menu, and you will automatically advance to the next episode after completing each one. Half-Life 2: Deathmatch Fast multiplayer action set in the Half-Life 2 universe! HL2's physics adds a new dimension to deathmatch play. Play straight deathmatch or try Combine vs. Resistance teamplay. Toss a toilet at your friend today! Included in your Steam library with purchase of Half-Life 2. Steam Workshop Play entire campaigns or replace weapons, enemies, UI, and more with content created by the community.

SteamPulse editorial summary

Half-Life 2 is listed as a game with $9.99. It supports Windows and Linux, belongs to Single-player, Steam Achievements, Full controller support, Steam Trading Cards, Captions available, Steam Workshop, Camera Comfort, and Custom Volume Controls, and is associated with Action. SteamPulse's latest observation records 2,204 players at 5 October 2026 - 18:09:46 UTC, a tracked peak of 64,085, and 98% positive reviews.

Overview tags

FPSActionSci-fiClassicSingleplayerStory RichShooterFirst-PersonAdventureDystopianAtmosphericZombiesSilent ProtagonistPhysicsAliens

Content descriptors

Half-Life 2 includes violence throughout the game.

Highlighted achievements

Support and legal notes

Real questions answered from SteamPulse data, including live players, monthly momentum, review sentiment, regional audience signals, Twitch activity, and current Steam pricing.