Marc Laidlaw, the man that helped to bring the entire Half-Life and Portal universes to life, has retired from Valve. The confirmation came after a Reddit user in the Half-Life subreddit decided to contact Laidlaw about just what was going on with Half-Life 3.

Laidlaw said that he has retired, a decision that comes after 18 years with Valve. His writing credits include the original Half-Life, all of Half-Life 2 including the episodes, Left 4 Dead, Dota 2, and Portal. Laidlaw has also written a number of books and short stories over the years.

Laidlaw says that there were a number of reasons in his decision to retire, most of which he says are personal. He also says that he simply feels too old or "oldish" to continue working in that particular environment. The biggest reason, he says, is that he simply needs "a break from the collaborative chaos of game production." He hopes to make a return to "more self-directed writing projects."

Below is the email response from Laidlaw that offers up a handy and humorous FAQ about his retirement.


Best of luck to Marc Laidlaw on his next ventures and adventures. Also a hearty "thank you" for helping to create these wonderful, imaginative worlds that countless of us have loved for years now. You have made us laugh, you have made us sad, you have made us feel concerned, and more. Most importantly, you have entertained the ever living hell out of us.