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List of brands and companies in the Half-Life series

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This article lists the brands and companies appearing in the Half-Life series, excluding publication brands. As they may appear in both the Half-Life and Portal series, they are listed by their first appearance only. Real world brands are denoted with the Valve logo (ValveEmployee.png).

See also the brands and companies from the Portal series.

Contents

Half-Life[edit]

Pre-release[edit]

Beverages[edit]

Various ValveEmployee.png[edit]

Several copyrighted brands were used on soda vending machines and/or soda cans during Half-Life's development. These include Coca-Cola, Fruitopia, Minute Maid, Sprite, Diet Coke, Surge, Moxie, and Pepsi. Sprite soda cans are still present in the final game as a gib model.

Retail[edit]

Beverages[edit]

Various[edit]

Half-Life and Half-Life for Dreamcast feature several soda brands that can be seen on the cans given out by vending machines. These include "Captivation", a nod to Captivation Digital Laboratories, "Dante", "Glub", "Grope", "Grape Ape", "Guthrie", a nod to John Guthrie, "Hai!", and "Yuck".

Sprite ValveEmployee.png[edit]

Whenever a trashcan is destroyed in Half-Life, soda cans bearing this actual brand's name have a chance of appearing.

Weapons[edit]

Gun-Nut[edit]

A .357 Magnum cartridges brand. The text on the back of the box reads "I'm just a crazy ol' kill-your-schoolmates kind of guy! Why dontcha join me in a spree?".

Transportation[edit]

Haihan[edit]

Brand of the forklift driven by Gus. Named after Hai Han, the wife of Steve Theodore, Gus's designer.

Establishments[edit]

Black Mesa Research Facility[edit]

Located in the New Mexico desert, USA, this is the facility where Black Mesa conducts its experiments, and where the Resonance Cascade occurred.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology ValveEmployee.png[edit]

Actual university where Gordon Freeman was a student and Isaac Kleiner a teacher.

University of Innsbruck ValveEmployee.png[edit]

Actual university attended by Gordon Freeman.

Scientific research companies[edit]

Black Mesa[edit]

Company conducting experiments in numerous fields at the Black Mesa Research Facility, and rival of Aperture Science. Employer of Gordon Freeman, Isaac Kleiner, Eli Vance and Barney Calhoun, among others.

NASA ValveEmployee.png[edit]

The 1975 logo of NASA can be seen on the Black Mesa rocket.

Other[edit]

PC VAC[edit]

Brand of a compressed air duster seen among the garbage when breaking crates.

Half-Life: Opposing Force[edit]

Food[edit]

Carousel Snacks[edit]

One of the snacks vending machines brands in Half-Life.

Power[edit]

Ohms. Power Inc.[edit]

Stylized as "Ωhms. Power Inc.". A Powered Combat Vest Charger brand.

Establishments[edit]

Santego Military Base[edit]

Main article: Santego Military Base

United States Marine Corps-operated military base located in Arizona. It is used as the setting for Half-Life: Opposing Force's training chapter, Boot Camp.

Half-Life: Blue Shift[edit]

Food[edit]

Fast food[edit]

Two fast food brands can be seen in a cafeteria in the Black Mesa Research Facility. These include "Big Tony's Pizza" and "Tesla's Tacos".

Establishments[edit]

Martinson College[edit]

College attended by Barney Calhoun.

Other[edit]

Prax Wars 2: Dante's Revenge[edit]

An arcade fighting video game whose cabinet is seen shortly after leaving the Area 8 Topside Dormitories at the start of the game. Prax Wars is a reference to Prax War, an actual cancelled game by developers Rebel Boat Rocker whose key members would form Gearbox Software shortly afterward.

A floppy disk model containing 50 free games featured in Half-Life: Alyx includes the Prax Wars series, including the first Prax Wars, Prax Wars 2: Dante's Revenge, Prax Wars 3: Rogue Getaway, and Prax Wars 4: Dante's Requiem.

Half-Life: Decay[edit]

Food[edit]

Captain Koso's Pure Highspeed Candy Bar[edit]

A chocolate brand. The meaning behind the term "Koso" is unknown. There is a player configuration file called koso.cfg in the game files left by a developer that went by the alias "Diggem", most likely a model designer judging by its contents. There is also an unused line referring to "Koso" spoken by the scientists in Half-Life: Decay: "Do you know what the word Koso is referring to, exactly?". The design of the packaging is based on the real-world Hershey's brand.

Transportation[edit]

Invacare ValveEmployee.png[edit]

The brand of Keller's motorized wheelchair. It is an actual manufacturer and distributor of non-acute medical equipment, including wheelchairs.

Half-Life 2[edit]

Pre-release[edit]

Beverages[edit]

Brickbat bottles[edit]

Two brands can be seen on beer bottles used as ammunition for the cut Brickbat in the Half-Life 2 leak/beta. These include "Dis Bee Goot" and "PalfAl".

Pepsi ValveEmployee.png[edit]

The copyrighted brand "Pepsi" was used on a soda vending machine during Half-Life 2's development.

T-Dog[edit]

A soda brand.

Food[edit]

McNess ValveEmployee.png[edit]

An actual brand of food for the beef, dairy, poultry and swine industry operating in the United States and Canada. A sign for it is seen on the Terminal plaza in the Half-Life 2 E3 2002 trailer. It was replaced later in the game's development by the Cafe American sign.

Fruits ValveEmployee.png[edit]

Seven actual fruit brands are featured in the Half-Life 2 leak and are used as billboards or painted ads in the WC map pack maps from the 2001 game's development period. These include "Beau Geste" (a nod to the 1939 film of the same name), "Golden Pears" (also hidden in the stone set stonewall040), "Mariposa", "Mornin Judge", "Mustang", "Snoboy", and "Strength".

When the game's development shifted the setting from American to Eastern European in 2001-2002, some were replaced by other signs: "Golden Pears" by "Atlantic", "Mustang" by "Veikko", "Snoboy" by "Tëras", and "Strength" by "Zaida". Only their VMTs were edited to point to other files, while the original VTFs were kept.

Weapons[edit]

Orion ValveEmployee.png[edit]

Actual brand of the Flare Gun featured in the Half-Life 2 leak.

Power[edit]

Cetaxo[edit]

Anagram of the real-world gas brand name "Texaco". It was initially used for the gas pump model, as found in the Half-Life 2 leak files only as the texture sheet, the model being missing, and in the files of the final game as the preview image for the final model, even though the brand was eventually replaced by "Terin".

Jet Power 555[edit]

Brand of an engine manufacturer featured on the Airboat's engine. It is present on both the Half-Life 2 leak and retail models, but it is only readable on the leak model which has a resolution texture double the size of that of the retail model.

Establishments[edit]

Brosco Internet Cafe[edit]

An internet cafe cut from City 17. The texture of this brand was leaked in 2023 repository leak.

Cafe American[edit]

Used throughout the late stages of Half-Life 2's development. Was originally the McNess sign.

Digital Maximum[edit]

An establishment cut from City 17. Judging by its name, it's some kind of brand related to technology. The texture of this brand was leaked in 2023 repository leak.

Europa Bank[edit]

A bank cut from City 17. The texture of this brand was leaked in 2023 repository leak.

Hotel Metropol[edit]

The predecessor of the Terminal Hotel from the final game. Was used late Half-Life 2's development, in 2003. In the WC map pack, it can be found in the map d1_trainstation and its variations, and appears in the E3 2003 demonstration "Striders", set in the map e3_c17_02. "Hotel Metropol" is the name of many real-world hotels.

ITC International[edit]

An establishment cut from City 17. The logo suggests that this may be some kind of travel agency. The texture of this brand was leaked in 2023 repository leak.

Yale University ValveEmployee.png[edit]

Actual university seen on Eli Vance's sweatshirt during the game's development. In final game, it was replaced by Harvard University.

Other[edit]

Ace ValveEmployee.png[edit]

An actual brand of sand and soda blasters, seen on a cut sandblasting cabinet that was to appear in Kleiner's Lab. "ACE" stands for "Automotive Cleaning Equipment".

Arbeit Laboratories[edit]

"Arbeit" is German for "work". The brand featured on brush cardboard boxes found in the storage areas of the Borealis as well as early versions of City 17's Terminal found in the WC map pack. According to Marc Laidlaw, this was just a temporary texture from an artist, the name-bearing no storyline significance.[1]

Bethlehem Wire Rope ValveEmployee.png[edit]

An actual wire rope brand.[2] Unused.

Bleau Ice[edit]

Found in the 2023 repository leak version of the texture named dishes; the top-left half of the texture was removed in the original leak version. Its slogan is "Smooth as ice!", suggesting a shaving foam or bottled water brands.

CAI ValveEmployee.png[edit]

CAI is an actual brand, short for Container Applications International. The texture is used in retail Half-Life 2 with the actual brand name removed, but with the right side kept, including the company code, CAXU.

DoALL ValveEmployee.png[edit]

An actual brand of industrial machinery. The unknown machine from DoALL featured in Kleiner's Lab includes a set of milling bits on a wheel, and a grindstone. Despite the notice, it is not a bandsaw.

Fiesta[edit]

An unused brand with its artwork based on the real-world Aztec sun stone. "Fiesta" is Spanish for "party", or "celebration".

Fruehauf Trailer Corporation ValveEmployee.png[edit]

A former real-world American company predominantly engaged in the manufacture and sale of truck trailers until its bankruptcy in 1996. Its logo makes an appearance in the Half-Life 2 leak only, featured on the side of a snowed shipping container texture and absent on the regular counterpart.

Hackman[edit]

Name of the video game that was to be played by Citizens in the Manhack Arcade, not knowing that they actually kill other Citizens with Manhacks.[3]

J. Hauptman Mens' Sportswear[edit]

Seen on the Terminal plaza in the Half-Life 2 E3 2002 trailer. Was replaced later in the game's development by the "Teräs" sign, and eventually "ХССГ".

La Fingo[edit]

A brand of gravel mix.

Lumi Pur[edit]

Brand found in the Half-Life 2 leak. "Lumi Pur" is Finnish for "Pure Snow".

Numero 29[edit]

"Numero" means "number" in many languages.

Reeve Outdoor Supply[edit]

This brand is featured on the handle of the cut Ice Axe along with a stylized mountain logo, with the last two letters in "Supply" almost completely scratched off.

S4[edit]

Stylized as "◆S4", unknown brand. The texture of this brand was leaked in 2023 repository leak.

Stjerne[edit]

Brand found in the Half-Life 2 leak. "Stjerne" is Danish for "star".

Teko[edit]

An unknown brand.

Teräs[edit]

Logo with a blacksmith working on an anvil. "Teräs" is Finnish for "steel". Was used to replace the J. Hauptman Mens' Sportswear sign as well as the "Snoboy" ad, and was eventually replaced in the final game by "ХССГ".

Todo 58[edit]

An unknown brand. Similar to painted ads for the Belgian beer Perle 28 once made by the Caulier brewery.[4]

Tree[edit]

The brand of a milling machine that was to appear in Kleiner's Lab.

Retail[edit]

Beverages[edit]

Dr. Breen's Private Reserve[edit]

Beverage manufactured by the Combine, named after Earth's Administrator Wallace Breen. Stylized as "Dr>Breens Private Reserve", or simply ">B".

Beer.[edit]

A brand of beer.

Milk.[edit]

A brand of milk.

Weapons[edit]

Salvotech[edit]

Brand of shells used by the shotgun in Half-Life 2 and the shotgun in Half-Life: Alyx.

Power[edit]

Kirkland Signature ValveEmployee.png[edit]

The logo of Costco's private brand Kirkland Signature can be seen on the car battery model.

Northern Petrol[edit]

An oil company that is the former owner of Dock 137.[5] Its logo, often stylized as "NP", is also painted on blue and red cargo containers. For Episode Two, it was replaced by "Transportation".

Petrol[edit]

A petrol brand seen on the billboard in the Petroleum Station. Its logo resembles an atom without its nucleus.

Terin[edit]

A gas brand featured on the gas station pumps found in the Petroleum Station in Half-Life 2 and near the White Forest Inn in Episode Two. It replaced the brand "Cetaxo" from the leak version. A Terin neon sign is also featured in the Tanker Yard near the Vault in Half-Life: Alyx.

Transportation[edit]

PAK[edit]

A truck and car brand found on a truck model and a car ad. The truck is actually an Avia A31, while the car is a Moskvitch 2140.

Establishments[edit]

Cafe Baltic[edit]

Several cafés in City 17 bear this name. Internally, the cafe is referred to as pieshop.

Dïordna Hostel[edit]

Supposedly the name of the hostel-like building where Gordon briefly reunites with Alyx during the City 17 uprising; the signage is seen at the entrance.

Harvard University ValveEmployee.png[edit]

Actual university seen on Eli Vance's sweatshirt. It replaced Yale University from the leak version.

Terminal Hotel[edit]

A prominent hotel building on the Trainstation Plaza.

University of Rochester ValveEmployee.png[edit]

Actual university of which Odessa Cubbage wears a jacket of its Security Services.

Chemicals[edit]

606[edit]

Cleaning product. Likely a nod to Formula 409.

Flavia[edit]

A paint brand.

Nevrin 54[edit]

A brand of insect repellents. Its advertisement sign is written in Romanian.

Wow[edit]

A detergent brand found on bottles.

Other[edit]

Atlantic[edit]

In the Half-Life 2 leak, it replaces the "Golden Pears" ad in later maps.

Change[edit]

Its sign is found in and around the City 17 Trainstation. Probably a convenience store or newsagent that could change currency, given its name. Under the logo are the nonsensical Greek letters "ΠΟΛΑΜΕΣ - ΚΑΡΠΙ - ΡΦΙ".

Cement[edit]

Sign found in City 17 and Ravenholm, as "Цимент", Bulgarian for "cement".

CyberCafe[edit]

An internet café found in the streets of City 17. Its logo resembles a television.

DELK[edit]

Acronym or company name written in the Cyrillic letters "ДЕЛК". Made with metal letters, on top of the generating station facing Black Mesa East's entrance.

Foto[edit]

A sign in City 17 that reads "Foto Copy/Atelier", presumably a photography studio. "Foto" is German for "photo".

Ivad[edit]

Fridge brand. Appears only once in the game, with the other items blocking the stairs in the tenement passed through during Point Insertion.

HSSG[edit]

Undetermined Cyrillic acronym appearing as "ХССГ". Used only twice in the game: at a hotel on the Trainstation Plaza at the start of the game, and later near the area where Alyx gets captured by the Combine.

Replaced the "Teräs" sign, itself having replaced "J. Hauptman Mens' Sportswear".

Port5[edit]

The logo, stylized in Russian italics, reads "Порт5". Russian for "Port5". Found twice in the Canals during the chapter Water Hazard: first near the abandoned Resistance hideout with the chimes, then above the gate that must be opened to access the helipad building near the dam.

SSI Container Corp. ValveEmployee.png[edit]

An actual cargo container brand,[6] it is featured on two world textures for a cargo container. SSI Container Corp. was acquired by Itel Corporation in 1968.[7]

Sunset Scavenger Container Service ValveEmployee.png[edit]

The name is featured on a dumpster model. Sunset Scavenger was a garbage collection and recycling services company based in San Francisco, California;[8] it is now known as Recology.[9]

Technics[edit]

The logo reads "Техника", Russian and Bulgarian for "technics" or "equipment", commonly used for home appliances stores. While it appears three times in Half-Life 2, its most prominent appearance is on the top of the Technical Trainstation in Episode One.

THT[edit]

Located in red metal letters above the arch near the area where Alyx gets captured by the Combine. Appears in the E3 2003 demonstration "Striders", set in the map e3_c17_02. The UBC logo is used in a similar context in the earlier E3 2002 demo "Strider". The models feature an alternate blue variant, not used in-game, and the Half-Life 2 leak features more letters, including F, O, U, and W. While the set uses a serif font, F and U use a sans-serif one.

The letters are also featured as "HTHT" in Half-Life: Alyx, but only for the "Street Scene" lighting within ModelDoc, on an alternate version of the Northern Star.

Veikko International[edit]

Company logo found in City 17, the Canals, Ravenholm, and the Outlands. "Veikko" is a male Finnish first name. In the Half-Life 2 leak, it replaces the "Mustang" ad in later maps.

UMF[edit]

Metal letters featured on the corner of a building, at street level, and at the horse statue crossroad in City 17. Appears in the E3 2003 demonstration "Striders". The Half-Life 2 leak features more letters, including C, K, and S.

Venturini[edit]

A Washing machine brand seen in most main areas of the game. "Venturini" is an Italian surname.

Wright Bagwell[edit]

A clock brand found in the City 17 Trainstation's waiting and main halls. It also appears on the main facade, but only during the uprising.

Reference to former Valve employee Wright Bagwell.

Yomani[edit]

A monitor manufacturer.

Zaida[edit]

Logo scarcely used in City 17. In the Half-Life 2 leak, it replaces the "Strength" ad in later maps.

Half-Life 2: Survivor[edit]

Taito Pharmaceutical Company[edit]

A company in Half-Life 2: Survivor that developed the three drinks usable in battle mode: the Jump Drink, Power Drink, and Mind Drink. The name is a reference to the game's developer, Taito Corporation.

Half-Life 2: Episode One[edit]

Establishments[edit]

Hospital[edit]

Main article: Hospital

A building featured in the game's fourth chapter, Urban Flight. The sign says "Стационар", Russian for "hospital".

Half-Life 2: Episode Two[edit]

Establishments[edit]

Victory Mine[edit]

Main article: Victory Mine

Russian "Шахта победы" (more information). One of the main areas of the game, where Alyx Vance gets almost killed by a Hunter and is saved by the Vortigaunts and Gordon Freeman.

White Forest Inn[edit]

Main article: The White Forest Inn

Scientific research companies[edit]

Aperture Laboratories[edit]

Trade name used by Aperture Science.

Aperture Science, Inc.[edit]

Main article: Aperture Science

The company was introduced at the same time in Portal and Half-Life 2: Episode Two conducting experiments in numerous fields at the Aperture Science Enrichment Center, and rival of Black Mesa.

Other[edit]

Cossack Transport[edit]

Transportation company from an unused texture named sign_cossacktransport_02. The logo reads "Азацкпй переход", which is Russian for "Cossack Transit", with a spelling mistake. The first letter is missing; its proper form should be "Казацкий переход". Regardless, "транспорт" (transport) or "перевозки" (transportation) should have been used instead.

Northern Logging[edit]

Logging company from an unused texture named sign_northernlogging_01. The logo reads "Севернбгй вноситв в журндп", which is erroneous Russian for "Northern Logging". Its proper form should be "Северный вносит в журнал". Regardless, the sentence doesn't translate to "Northern Logging", but roughly the meaningless "Northern enters into the logbook".

Subarctic Transport[edit]

Transportation company from unused textures named sign_subarctictransport_01 and sign_subarctictransport_03. The logo reads "Субдрктицеский казацкпй", which is Russian for "Subarctic Cossack", with spelling mistakes. Its proper form should be "Субарктический казацкий".

Iron Ore Corporation[edit]

Iron ore company from an unused texture named sign_ironorecorp_03. The logo reads "Корпорауия", which is Russian for "Corporation", with a spelling mistake. Its proper form should be "Корпорация".

Transcontinental[edit]

Shipping company from unused textures named sign_shipping_01 and sign_shipping_03. The logo reads "Трансконтинентал", which is Russian for "transcontinental", with spelling mistakes. Its proper form should be "Трансконтиненталь".

Transportation[edit]

The logo reads "Перевозки", Russian for "Transportation". This brand is featured on red, blue and green cargo containers in Half-Life 2: Episode Two and Half-Life: Alyx, replacing the "Northern Petrol" logo previously featured on them in Half-Life 2 and Half-Life 2: Episode One.

Half-Life: Alyx[edit]

Beverages[edit]

Alcohol[edit]

90° alcohol. The logo reads "Спирт", Russian for "alcohol". Below reads "Питьевой", Russian for "drinkable", thus specifying that's in a kind of alcohol that can be drunk, then "Высшей очистки", "Highest purification".

The back reads "Вино исключительное по своим вкусовым качествам / Требуйте вино Вермут производства Росглаввино", meaning "The wine is exceptional in its taste / Demand Vermouth wine produced by Rosglavvino". It is unrelated to strong alcohol as it is lifted directly from an actual Vermouth ad by Rosglavvino, Vermouth manufacturer in Krasnodar Krai, Russia.

Bashkir[edit]

Beer brand made in Sterlitamak, Russia, and established in 1892. Written as "Башкирская", Russian for "Bashkir". Has a Soviet ГОСТ number. It is a very strong beer, with 40% alcohol. "башкирская" is more suited to refer to vodka, while "башкирскОе" would be used for beer.

Bitters ValveEmployee.png[edit]

From an actual 1938 Soviet poster made by artist Alexander Pobedinsky for the alcoholic beverage section of the Soviet Narkompisheprom (People's Commissariat of Food Industry) (Наркомпищепром СССР - Главликерводка) to promote bitter tinctures (Горькие настойки). The brands include aged vodka (Старая водка - старка), Dutch gin (Джин голландский), and Zubrovka vodka (Зубровка).[10]

Chatka[edit]

A vodka brand with a deer mascot, established in 1860 in Saint Petersburg. The slogan on its billboard reads "The time is now.". Also a canned crab brand.

Chesterfield[edit]

European-style lager beer brand established in 1897. The barcode of the back label (8008440222008) is actually that of real-life lager Peroni Nastro Azzurro.

Golden Lion[edit]

The 40% vodka made at the Golden Lion Distillery. Written in Bulgarian on the bottle as "Златен лъв", and featured as "first-class vodka" ("първокласна водка").

The back of the bottle includes the manifesto "Оригиналната водка. Най-високо качество. Най-приятен вкус. Водката "Златен лъв" е направена по традиционни методи, които не са се променили от векове. Вкуси лъва." which translates to "The original vodka. The best quality. The most pleasant taste. Golden Lion vodka is made by traditional methods that have not changed for centuries. Taste the lion."

One bottle of this brand is to be brought from the distillery for Russell to unlock the "Team Spirit" Achievement.

An ad in Bulgarian for the vodka reads "Гордостта на града", "The pride of the city", "Традиционно се дестилира", "It is traditionally distilled", and "Се наслаждавайте отговорно", "Enjoy responsibly".

Klyuchevsky[edit]

Beer promoted through a poster by Claire Hummel inspired by both a photo of the actor David Niven and his role as a bishop in the 1947 film The Bishop's Wife.[11] The slogan reads "Любителямъ вкуснаго пива и портера / Пивоваренного завода Ключевский", pre-revolutionary Russian for "To everyone who loves tasty beer and porter / From the Klyuchevsky brewery".

At some point during the game's development, the poster used instead was an actual 1928 poster promoting beer and water from the Southern Bavaria factory located in Simferopol, Crimea, with the slogan "Я пью пиво и воды только завода Южная Бавария", Russian for "I only drink beer and water from Southern Bavaria".[12]

Kurdzhips[edit]

Written as "Курджипс", Russian for "Kurdzhips". Semi-sweet red wine established in 1937.

Massif Peaks[edit]

A brand of mineral water. Its advertisement reads "Enjoy the natural taste of water". The ad is also featured in 7 days. Massif Peaks appears to be a parody of Evian mineral water.

Moldvinprom[edit]

Moldovan dessert wine. Written as "Молдвинпром", Russian for "Moldvinprom". Short for "Молдавская винная промышленность", "Moldovan wine industry". The bottle incorrectly reads "пиво", Russian for "beer".

Northern Star beers[edit]

The Northern Star bar in the main lobby used to offer 8 different draught beers. They included:

  • Dekogon Bräu, a light pilsner beer. "Bräu" is a South German/Austrian word for "brew".
  • Kollab, that comes in three types: Amber (red), Lager (green), and Pale Ale (blue).
  • Lion Ale.
  • Mid Night, a stout beer.
  • Old House Brewery, that comes in two types: green and red.

The model is one of the several Deko / Dekogon models made externally by Dekogon Studios. This one is part of their set "Restaurant and Dive Bar VOL.2".

Orange juice[edit]

Sugarless (Без сахара) orange juice. The carton reads "Апельсиновый сок", Russian for "orange juice".

Pasteurized milk[edit]

The carton reads "Пастеризованное молоко", Russian for "pasteurized milk". Contains 3.5% fat (жира).

Red Beer[edit]

Written as "Красное Пиво", Russian for "red beer". Branded as a "summer stout". The barcode of the back label (8008440222008) is actually that of real-life lager Peroni Nastro Azzurro.

Rkaciteli ValveEmployee.png[edit]

Actual white wine grape from Georgia, written on the bottle in Russian as "Ркацители".

Sodas[edit]

Includes three different soda cans:

  • "Сода", Russian for "Soda", with a design reminiscent of Coca-Cola, and the slogan "Оригинальный вкус", Russian for "Original taste".
  • "Гранж", Russian for "Grunge"; it is described as "Крайний эстРАгон сода", an "extreme" tarragon-flavored soda. Its orange background actually reuses the grunge background from the Half-Life cover art. It was designed by Valve artist Claire Hummel.[13]
  • "Лимонад", Russian for "Lemonade", a lemon-lime-flavored soda with a design reminiscent of Sprite.

Sunrise[edit]

Ground coffee with chicory. Written as "Молотый Восход кофе", Russian for "Ground Sunrise coffee". Alyx uses such a box to keep food for her Snark in her hideout, with the label "Not coffee".

Tea[edit]

The logo reads "Чай", Russian for "tea".

Food[edit]

Beef stew[edit]

Canned beef stew brand. The label reads "Тушеная говядина", Russian for "beef stew", with a cow head on a white lozenge as a logo.

Big Farmer[edit]

Catering company (according to the model's related material group) that provides fresh produce contained in cardboard boxes. The back of the box says "100% натуральный", Russian for "100% natural".

Breakfast cereal[edit]

Written as "Сухой Завтрак", literally Russian for "dry breakfast", i.e. "breakfast cereal".

Butter[edit]

Salted butter brand. Written as "Сливочное масло", Russian for "Butter". Stated as "чистое" / "соленое", Russian for "clean" / "salty".

Chatka ValveEmployee.png[edit]

From an actual 1938 Soviet poster made by artist AA Miller for the fishing section of the Soviet Narkompisheprom (People's Commissariat of Food Industry) (Наркомпищепром СССР - Главрыба) to promote Chatka, a brand of canned crab (written in Latin letters). The slogan reads "Всем попробовать пора бы как вкусны и нежны крабы", Russian for "It's time for everyone to try how tasty and tender crabs are".[14]

Also a vodka brand.

Cheese Dream[edit]

Written as "Сыр Мечта", Russian for "Cheese Dream". As seen on a poster for canned liquid Swiss cheese with parsley. Reminiscent of the Half-Life 2 Citizen line "Sometimes I dream about cheese".

Cookies[edit]

Cookies. Written as "Лучшее печенье", Russian for "The best cookies". Below is "Ванильное", "vanilla". It is stated to have been made using the same classic recipe for over 50 years.

Crackers[edit]

Written as "Крэкеры", Russian for "Crackers", with a spelling mistake. Its proper form should be "Крекеры".

Crab[edit]

Canned crab. Written as "Краб", Russian for "crab". Has a design reminiscent of Spam.

Delicious fish[edit]

Canned fish brand established in 1901. The label reads "Вкусная рыба / Сардины в томатном соусе", Russian for "delicious fish/sardines in tomato sauce".

Duke[edit]

Animal feed since 1986. Stored in large bags.

Fine[edit]

Catering company (according to the model's related material group) that provides fresh products contained in cardboard boxes. The box reads "Отлично" and "Свежие продукты", Russian for "Fine - fresh products", on a pear pictogram.

Flour[edit]

From a flour bag that weighs 1 kilogram. The brand's name is hidden by a label with the words "ржаная мука", Russian for "rye flour".

Handy Fork Catering[edit]

Catering company. Its logo is a four-tine dinner fork with a human thumb, hence its name "Handy Fork".

Locktek[edit]

Food container manufacturer.

Vegetable soup[edit]

Canned vegetable soup. The label reads "Овощной суп / Здоровый свежий", Russian for "vegetable soup/healthy fresh".

Vologda butter ValveEmployee.png[edit]

Butter made in the Vologda region of Russia, featured on a mural. Written as "Вологодское масло", Russian for "Vologda butter". The slogan reads "Look for the Clean Cut!; the first word reads "сливочное", Russian for "cream".

Weapons[edit]

Le Clarion[edit]

That firearm brand can be seen etched on the side of Alyx's pistol. "Le Clarion" seems to be written as a French brand name, although if so, it should be "Le clairon". Its logo is the escutcheon of a skeleton blowing a clarion.

Ratel[edit]

Brand of the shotgun used by Alyx. The logo is a ratel in a circle, with the name below.

Transportation[edit]

RB[edit]

Bike brand.

Riga[edit]

A car brand whose SZ-912 model advertisements are commonly seen on billboards and in newspapers in City 17. Wrecks of the model itself are present in the city streets in white, yellow, blue, and red.

The billboard slogan reads "Reality Defined.", and below the model name "Сбеги!", Russian for "Escape!" or "Run away!". An ad in The Terminal has the longer slogan "Reality Defined. Precision Designed. Your Drive Refined. Your Day: Divine.", as a remake of the car ad found on the original low-res newspaper model from Half-Life 2.

Riga is also the capital of Latvia, in the Baltic region of Northern Europe.

Power[edit]

Aerkon[edit]

Air conditioning unit manufacturer.

Lane Electronics[edit]

The brand is found on electric panels and other electric components.

Volt[edit]

Brand manufacturing 9-volt batteries.

Establishments[edit]

Central Zoo[edit]

Main article: Central Zoo

The area featured in the game's eighth chapter, Captivity. An ad for its aquatic exhibits is also featured in 7 days. The logo reads "Центральный зоопарк", Russian for "Central Zoo".

Distillery[edit]

The area featured in the game's seventh chapter, Jeff. It produces the Golden Lion vodka, among others. Its signs and products use Bulgarian rather than the usual Russian.

Holden Company Processing Plant[edit]

From the mural advertising the processing plant on its facade near the Northern Star. Written as "Компания Холден", Russian for "Holden Company", and "обрабатывающий завод", Russian for "processing plant", with a spelling mistake. Its proper form should be "перерабатывающий завод".

Museum of Natural History[edit]

Full name "Museum of Natural History at the Barracks", also referred to by its acronym "MNH". From a billboard for "Тиранозавр рекс - The ultimate predator" (Russian for "Tyrannosaurus rex"), an exhibit on the Tyrannosaurus rex held at the MNH from September 25, 1999, to March 12, 2000, in the then newly renovated Prehistoric Hall. Admission was free under 12, and it was open from Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The ad is also featured in 7 days.

The poster reuses an existing photo of the skull of the T. rex of the Maryland Science Center in Baltimore, USA.[15]

National Art Gallery[edit]

From a billboard for "Чернила на бумаге - Young masters" (Russian for "ink on paper"), an exhibit on young masters of ink on paper from the 1870-1930 period, held at the National Art Gallery from January 5 to August 16, 1998, in cooperation with the Chistyakov Fund (Фонд Чистякова). The entrance was free, and it was open on weekdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on holidays.

The drawing featured on the poster, titled Pen and Ink Tango, was made by Valve artist Claire Hummel.[16]

Northern Star[edit]

Main article: Northern Star

The area featured in the game's fifth chapter, The Northern Star.

Royal Theater[edit]

From a billboard for the Shakespeare play Antony & Cleopatra playing at the Royal Theater and praised by The Times.

Cosmetics[edit]

Dental Pro[edit]

Oral hygiene brand. On its toothpaste product are the words "Med Dental Pro/24 hour protection".

Ivushka ValveEmployee.png[edit]

Actual Soviet shampoo. The logo reads "Универсальный Шампунь Ивушка", Russian for "Ivushka Universal Shampoo". It is produced in Kharkiv and costs 1 ruble.

L'orchid[edit]

Perfume brand based in Moscow and Paris. The logo reads "L'орхидея", Russian for "L'orchid", the "L'" being the form of "the" in French when used with a word starting with a vowel, and a reference to the cosmetics company "L'Oréal". The billboard slogan reads "He gave you orchids / Return the favour".

Nadezhda ValveEmployee.png[edit]

Actual Soviet shampoo. The logo reads "Шампунь Надежда", Russian for "Nadezhda shampoo". It is produced in Nikolaev and costs 1 ruble.

Quack Quack ValveEmployee.png[edit]

Actual Soviet shampoo for children that contains vitamin F. The logo reads "Кря Кря", Russian for "Quack Quack", with a duck mascot below.

Triple Cologne ValveEmployee.png[edit]

Actual Soviet Cologne. The logo reads "Тройной Одеколон", Russian for "Triple Cologne".

Chemicals[edit]

Insecticide-71[edit]

Bug spray brand. Its 100ml "Universal Ultra Insecticide Aerosol" product is used to repel and kill ticks.

Detergent[edit]

Dishwashing soap. The logo reads "Моющее Средство", Russian for "detergent".

H.W. Lionhardt[edit]

From a mural ad for a pesticide (written as "Пестициди" in Bulgarian). Under the name is "Лъвско сърце", Bulgarian for "Lion heart". The ad also writes "Свободен сега", Bulgarian for "Free now".

Paint[edit]

The logo reads "Краска", Russian for "paint". The text on the paint buckets reads "роскошный цвет/Краска; устойчивая и долговечная/быстро сохнет; водоустойчивая; гарантия качества", which roughly translates to "rich color/Paint; long-lasting and durable/fast drying; waterproof; quality guarantee". The color of the paint drippings can vary.

Pharmacol[edit]

Drugs manufacturer. One of its products is a 100-tablet potassium iodide carton which is used as thyroid-blocking protection in an event of a nuclear emergency. Each of these tablets contains 65 mg of potassium iodide that yields 50 mg of iodine.

Another product is pills that are to be orally taken 3 times daily. On its bottle are the words "patient test", hinting that this might be an experimental medicine still in its testing phase.

PVA Glue[edit]

"Extra strength" washable wood glue.

Three[edit]

Laundry soap. The logo reads "Три", Russian for "Three" (can also be interpreted as "Rub it").

Other[edit]

3Dxp[edit]

Graphic card brand, a nod to the real-life Voodoo graphics card by 3dfx.

Arrowmeister[edit]

Dartboard brand. "Meister" is German and Norwegian (among others) for "master".

Bram[edit]

Brand of the radio used by Alyx on her balcony, model XP-400, and VHS tapes.

Bridges[edit]

The brand featured on cardboard boxes. This is an Easter egg from the video game Death Stranding, where Bridges is featured as one of the major protagonist factions. The name of the material group used by the model, normans_box, references Norman Reedus, the actor playing the game's main protagonist.

City Plumbing[edit]

From the business card of Danil Bakunin, proprietor of City Plumbing. The slogan on the card says "Your plumbing is our business - guaranteed!".

City Rail Maintenance[edit]

Department in charge of maintaining the city's train network featured on a note about new doors and fire extinguishers having been installed on trains.

Class C-219[edit]

Cigarette brand seen on a billboard.

Emerald Multimedia[edit]

A nod to real-life hardware manufacturer Diamond Multimedia, found on the 3Dxp graphic card.

EWS[edit]

A brand found on dumpsters. The color and logo resemble that of a defunct waste management company Browning-Ferris Industries.

Deko / Dekogon[edit]

Deko and Dekogon are actually brands often featured on models made externally by Dekogon Studios.

Deluxe[edit]

Monitor manufacturer. Used by Alyx and Russell to look at surveillance footage in their respective dens.

Devclean Instrument Co[edit]

Geiger counter manufacturer. The Geiger counter is used by the Combine Infestation Control and Russell, granting the "Eye of the Geiger" Achievement when used on him in his lab.

It is based on the CD V-715 radiological survey meter, used by the defunct U.S. Civil Defense for detecting gamma radiation levels. It is actually not a Geiger counter, which is a specific type of survey meter used for measuring alpha, beta, and gamma radiation levels.[17]

Fokus[edit]

Brand of the video camera, model Fokus 2000, used by Alyx in her hideout.

Foster & Huges[edit]

The brand featured on cardboard boxes.

Hardfix[edit]

Screws manufacturer, as seen on a 200x R2-CSK head stainless steel screw carton.

Infinity Tools[edit]

Pliers manufacturer. Featured on one of the three pliers models, all made externally by Dekogon Studios, like the models bearing the brands Deko / Dekogon. Part of their set "Toolshed / Garage Props VOL.1".

Jealous Gold Weasel[edit]

Clock brand.

Kombfab[edit]

City factory that made Portland cement and glass wool for KOM Construction. Written as "Городская фабрика Комбфаб", Russian for "City factory Kombfab". It was located on 13, citadel street ("Ул. Цитадельная 13").

KOM Construction[edit]

Construction company/brand. Written as "KOM строи", Russian for "KOM Construction". Featured on bags of Portland cement and glass wool pieces made for them by Kombfab.

Lasting[edit]

Brand featured on cardboard boxes. The logo "Прочный" is Russian for "lasting", "strong", or "durable".

Markz[edit]

Dry-erase marker brand. The Lab uses the Marka variant. Comes in black, red, yellow, and green.

Matches[edit]

The matchbox models include 4 variants, as well as a Northern Star matchbook.

Miguel[edit]

Cigarette brand. One pack holds 20 filtered cigarettes, said to be "selected tobaccos".

Occular Recalculation Procedures Inc.[edit]

From a billboard that says "Vision lies within. Погледни вътре." (Bulgarian for "Look inside."). In its advertisement, "ocular" is misspelled as "occular". The ad is also featured in the newspaper 7 days.

The face shown in the advertisement is that of the G-Man's. The advertisement bears similarity to the billboard for fictional oculist Doctor T. J. Eckleburg described in the novel The Great Gatsby, also a giant pair of disembodied eyes serving as symbolic imagery in the narrative.

Olga's pins[edit]

Resistance member Olga wears several pins on the left side of her chest, some of which feature a brand name. These include Jungle, TT Repair, Murray Jet, and Aristov.

Pendulum[edit]

Brand of the green metal filing cabinets found in offices and usually containing items. Comes with four or two drawers.

Radiphone[edit]

Portable radio. Based on the Soviet VEF Spidola transistor radio.

Sorbent[edit]

Сорбент (sorbent) bag. The text on the bags read "Сорбент-Назначение: Для ликвидации аварийных разливов: нефти, мазута, масла, кислот, щелочей, токсичных жидкостей; Природный минерал с 99% пористостью, снвноуслеродной (should read "безуглеродной") гидрофобной поверхностью", which roughly translates to "Sorbent-Purpose: For the liquidation of emergency spills: petrol, mazut, oil, acids, alkali, toxic liquids; Natural mineral with 99% porosity, non-carbonic hydrophobic surface".

South West Trains[edit]

Railway company featured on a passenger bulletin in the City 17 Metro.

SP Service[edit]

Brand featured on cardboard boxes. The logo reads "СП Сервис", Russian for "SP Service".

Speedwagon[edit]

Heavy-duty laundromat washing machine.

Standard Global[edit]

Dry-erase marker felt eraser brand. Its "Model PC4K-35 Multi-Purpose Felt Eraser" is used by Alyx in her Hideout. Written on the eraser is the company's telephone, "+7 195-899-5555".

Terminal Authority[edit]

City 17's public transport authority that managed the metro network, buses, shuttles, and parking garages.

Trexlor[edit]

Brand of the yellow hazmat crates used by Infestation Control to store equipment. It is only found on the default variant.

TsTV[edit]

Color TV with its brand or model name written is Cyrillic as ЦТВ-017 (TsTV-017). Based on the real-life Рубин (Ruby) television, model Ц-208 (C-208). "Ц" stands for "цветной" ("tsvetnoy"), Russian for "colored". Used by Alyx in her hideout.

VHS tapes[edit]

Written as AHS instead of VHS. Includes three brands: Bram (model B32), MaxViz (model S-500), and Phaedrus (model Pro).

One MaxViz tape was used by Alyx at her hideout to record "Combine activity" with a Bram video camera. It was taped over a recording of the movie Dirty Dancing. An unused label in the texture sheet reads "Dad's birthday".

Vaek[edit]

Server manufacturer.

Video games[edit]

Included in a blue 3 1⁄2 floppy disk containing 50 free games that cost £4.95. Includes the Prax Wars series introduced in Blue Shift. Russell comments on the floppy disk when Alyx picks it up before reaching Gary's hideout, after which she interrupts him: "That there is a floppy disk. We used to store information on them. With magnets, if you can believe it. Specifically, two micrometers magnetic iron oxide, three micrometers barium ferrite, and one point two —".

  • Black Box Destroyer
  • Cassandra Tank Colony
  • Cold War Thunder IV
  • The Covenant Complex
  • Dark Logic: Saboteur
  • The Darkness Between the Days
  • Destination Saturn
  • Disintegrator Dark Star
  • Divided We Wall
  • Divide By Zero II
  • Dog Star Commander Bse
  • Exile of the Keeper
  • Eye For an Eye For an Eye
  • Faire Game: Eternal
  • The Genius Secret
  • Impossible Gods III
  • In Darkness It Came Damned
  • The Judas Paradox
  • Kill-House Mountain
  • Kraven's Curse: Resurrection
  • The Last Country of the Sun
  • The Curse of the Crawling Man
  • Medusa's Wig
  • Morning Martian
  • Mozart's Bulldozer
  • Nothing But Monsters
  • Omninomicron
  • Planck VI
  • Polaris
  • Prax Wars
  • Prax Wars 2: Dante's Revenge
  • Prax Wars 3: Rogue Getaway
  • Prax Wars 4: Dante's Requiem (misspelled as Reqiuem)
  • ... and more

See also[edit]

References[edit]