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Valve Corporation

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Valve Corporation is an American video game and digital distribution developer based in Bellevue, Washington.[2] Their first game, Half-Life, was highly acclaimed and they have since gone on to develop more franchises, including Team Fortress, Counter-Strike, Day of Defeat, Portal, Left 4 Dead, and Dota.

Valve also developed the popular Steam content delivery client, which is now the market leader with, as of December 2012, over 2000 games available, 54 million active user accounts, and with 70% of the market share.[3] Valve releases all of their games via Steam.

History[edit]

The Mr. Valve logo used from 1998 (Half-Life) to 2005 (Xbox version of Half-Life 2).

Valve was founded on August 24, 1996[4][5] by two former Microsoft employees, Gabe Newell and Mike Harrington. They originally started out as an L.L.C. company based in Kirkland, Washington, however, after incorporation in 2003, Valve moved from Kirkland to Bellevue.

Following the success of Half-Life, the Valve team expanded their portfolio, creating mods, spin-offs, and sequels. Valve has accumulated rights to at least seven different series which include Half-Life, Team Fortress, Counter-Strike, Day of Defeat, Portal, Left 4 Dead, and Dota. Valve are also noted for their support of the modding community. In fact, their games Team Fortress, Counter-Strike, and Day of Defeat all started out as third-party mods before becoming full-fledged games. Valve distributes some community mods on their content delivery system, Steam.

Products and franchises[edit]

Half-Life series[edit]

Picture of the Half-Life team around 1998, from the Sierra Studios E3 1998 Press Kit. (Other versions: 1, 2, 3)
Half-Life box art.
Possible blueprint from offices at Valve featured in the background images of the Half-Life instruction manual, presented like a BMRF blueprint.
Main article: Half-Life and Portal universe

Valve began working on the first game of the Half-Life series soon after the company's formation, and settled on a concept for a horror-themed 3D action game, using the Quake engine as licensed by id Software. Half-Life was a hit at the 1997 E3 convention, where its animation system and artificial intelligence were demonstrated. The game's success led to its first expansion pack, Half-Life: Opposing Force, which was developed by Gearbox Software, a company based in Plano, Texas. Randy Pitchford, founder of Gearbox, said in an interview that he believed Valve gave them the opportunity to produce a sequel to Half-Life to allow Valve to focus on future titles. The game was demonstrated at the 1999 E3 convention, where new locations, characters, and the storyline were revealed.

On November 16, 2004,[6] Half-Life 2, the sequel to the original game, was released. Following its release, the series was continued using a trilogy of episodic games. Half-Life 2: Episode One was the first of these, set around City 17 after the events of the original game, in which Gordon Freeman and Alyx Vance must attempt to escape the city after a dark energy reactor core they damaged at the end of Half-Life 2 threatens to destroy the city. It was released on June 1, 2006,[7] and introduced several new graphical effects including new lighting features and facial animation.

The second episodic game, Half-Life 2: Episode Two, was released on October 10, 2007,[8] and continues the story soon after where Episode One ended. This episode focuses on expansive environments, travel, and less linear play. It was released in The Orange Box along with Half-Life 2, Episode One, Portal, and Team Fortress 2.

On March 23, 2020,[9] Half-Life: Alyx was released for SteamVR-compatible VR headsets, marking Valve's return to the franchise after more than a decade of absence. A feature length VR game, it takes place five years before the events of Half-Life 2.

Portal series[edit]

Aperture Science Enrichment Center entrance.
Main article: Half-Life and Portal universe#Portal / Portal 2 story arc

Portal is Valve's professionally-developed spiritual successor to the freeware game project Narbacular Drop, the 2005 independent game released by students of DigiPen, who are now all employed at Valve.[10][11] Released on October 10, 2007,[12] the game was only available as part of The Orange Box, however after its success it is now available separately on Steam. The game follows Chell, a test subject in the Aperture Science Enrichment Center, who must use the Handheld Portal Device to navigate through nineteen Test Chambers, all the while being guided by a sinister AI who offers "consoling" advice.

On March 1, 2010, Portal was updated to tie in with an alternate reality game, which was eventually revealed to be promoting a full sequel, Portal 2. Portal 2 was officially announced on March 5, 2010[13] and was confirmed to be a full-priced standalone game, taking place in an unknown area of Aperture Science Enrichment Center.

Steam[edit]

Valve announced its Steam content delivery system in 2002. At the time, it looked to be a method of streamlining the patch process common in online computer games. Steam was later revealed as a replacement for much of the dated framework of WON and Half-Life multiplayer and also as a distribution system for entire games since 2005. It was released on September 12, 2003.[14]

As part of Steam, Valve developed the Valve Anti-Cheat system, an anti-cheat solution that prevented players from changing the game code to gain an advantage over other players. It is now implemented as a part of Steamworks, a publishing suite that gives developers access to every component of Steam.[15]

Hardware[edit]

Steam Machine (1st iteration), Steam Controller (1st iteration) and Steam Link[edit]

With the development of Valve's own Linux-based operating system, SteamOS, as well as the general push toward improving gaming on Linux, Valve started branching out into developing and manufacturing hardware. In late 2012, Gabe Newell announced the plans to develop Valve's own gaming hardware, dubbed "Steam Box" by the press.[16]. The following year, it was officially announced under the name "Steam Machine".[17]

After a series of delays, the Steam Machine was eventually released in November 2015, alongside the Steam Controller - Valve's custom gamepad - and the Steam Link, a software & hardware solution for streaming games from a PC.[18][19] The manufacturing of several Steam Machine versions - collectively referred to as Steam Machines - was handled by third-party companies, while the Steam Controller and the Steam Link were being manufactured by Valve.

By mid 2016, the Steam Machines series failed to achieve good sales, and was discontinued in 2018;[20] the Steam Link hardware was discontinued later in the same year.[21] The Steam Controller was discontinued the following year.[22]

HTC Vive and Valve Index[edit]

In March 2015, Valve announced the HTC Vive VR headset together with consumer electronics manufacturer HTC. Standout features at the time included the inclusion of a pair of controllers, as well as a pair of tracking stations that allowed the user to walk around freely in and interact with their virtual environments.[23]

In June 2019, Valve released the Valve Index VR headset, which was developed and manufactured in-house. Owners of the Index received a copy of Half-Life: Alyx for free. The headset was discontinued in late 2025.

Steam Deck[edit]

In February 2022, Valve released the Steam Deck - a handheld gaming computer running the updated version of SteamOS.[24] Aperture Desk Job serves as the tech demo for it. Valve also initiated a program on Steam allowing third-party games to be 'Deck Verified', ensuring proper functionality with the Deck's hardware and operating system. As of 2026, an upgraded OLED model of the Deck is available. Overall, the Steam Deck was a commercial success, achieving around 4 million sales by February 2025.[25] The product was also praised for its influence on Linux gaming and portable gaming in general.

Steam Machine (2nd iteration), Steam Controller (2nd iteration) and Steam Frame[edit]

In November 2025, Valve announced the new Steam Hardware lineup: a small-factor gaming PC named Steam Machine; the second version of the Steam Controller; and a standalone virtual reality headset, the Steam Frame, capable of streaming VR and non-VR games from the PC, as well as running them natively and running Android apps. The lineup was initially expected to be released in early 2026.[26]

The Steam Controller released on May 4, 2026.[27] The Steam Machine and the Steam Frame both were delayed due to component shortage. The Steam Machine ultimately released on June 29, 2026;[28] unlike the first iteration from 2015, it is built directly by Valve. It uses SteamOS 3.x, but allows the user to replace it with an operating system of their choosing.

The Steam Frame is set to release on September 18, 2026. Unlike the Valve Index, it uses a wireless connection, and does not require base stations for tracking the user's position. Similarly to the Index, purchasing the Frame includes a free copy of Half-Life: Alyx; the game itself was updated to improve performance on the Frame. Like with the Deck, games on Steam can go through a verification program to test their compatibility with the Frame.

Gallery[edit]

  • An "in-game" version of the Half-Life team photograph.

  • Valve logo on the early Half-Life console background.

  • A Half-Life texture containing a reference to Valve.

  • Ditto.

  • An unused Half-Life texture for a portable toilet also containing a reference to Valve.

  • Ditto.

  • Back of HEV Suit with Valve's company logo.

  • Coffee machine from Half-Life with Valve's company logo.

  • The Mr. Valve logo used since 2007 (Episode Two).

References[edit]

  1. ↑ Valve Studio Tour: From Old To New on Game Informer (March 29, 2010) (archived)
  2. ↑ About Valve on ValveSoftware.com
  3. ↑ Stardock Reveals Impulse, Steam Market Share Estimates
  4. ↑ Steam Message, August 24, 2007 (archived). "[...] it was exactly eleven years ago that Valve was born."
  5. ↑ Valve Corporation v. ValveNET, Inc., ValveNET, Inc., Charles Morrin Case No. D2005-0038. WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center.
  6. ↑ Steampowered favicon.png Half-Life 2 on Steam
  7. ↑ Steampowered favicon.png Half-Life 2: Episode One on Steam
  8. ↑ Steampowered favicon.png Half-Life 2: Episode Two on Steam
  9. ↑ Steampowered favicon.png Half-Life: Alyx on Steam
  10. ↑ Things are heating up!. Narbacular Drop official site (2006-07-17). Retrieved on 2006-07-21.
  11. ↑ Valve’s Doug Lombardi Talks Half-Life 2 Happenings on Game Informer (August 25, 2006) (archived)
  12. ↑ Steampowered favicon.png Portal on Steam
  13. ↑ Portal 2 Announced
  14. ↑ Steam Client Released
  15. ↑ Steamworks partner site
  16. ↑ Jason Schreier (Dec 8, 2012). Gabe Newell: Living Room PCs Will Compete With Next-Gen Consoles. Kotaku. Retrieved on Sep 16, 2026.
  17. ↑ Jason Schreier (Sep 25, 2013). Valve Announces ‘Steam Machines,’ Hopes To Improve Living Room Gaming. Kotaku. Retrieved on Sep 16, 2026.
  18. ↑ Rob Crossley (Nov 11, 2015). First Three Steam Machines Released, Prices and Specs Detailed. GameSpot. Retrieved on Sep 16, 2026.
  19. ↑ Brian Crecente (Jun 4, 2015). The first official Steam Machines hit Oct. 16, on store shelves Nov. 10. Polygon. Retrieved on Sep 16, 2026.
  20. ↑ Sherif Saed (Apr 2, 2018). Proof of death: Valve removes the Steam Machines section from Steam. VG247. Retrieved on Sep 16, 2026.
  21. ↑ Sean Hollister (Nov 20, 2018). Farewell to the Steam Link, the best wireless HDMI gadget ever made. The Verge. Retrieved on Sep 16, 2026.
  22. ↑ Nathan Grayson (Nov 26, 2019). Valve Is Not Making Any More Steam Controllers. Kotaku. Retrieved on Sep 16, 2026.
  23. ↑ Dredge, Stuart (Mar 2, 2015). HTC and Valve take on Oculus Rift with Vive virtual reality headset. Kotaku. Retrieved on Mar 28, 2015.
  24. ↑ Liam Squires-Hand (Feb 25, 2022). The Steam Deck has released, here's my initial review. GamingOnLinux. Retrieved on Sep 2016, 2026.
  25. ↑ Jeremy Laird (Feb 26, 2025). New figures show Valve's Steam Deck is still by far the biggest selling handheld gaming PC but the form factor isn't really taking off. PCGamer. Retrieved on Sep 16, 2026.
  26. ↑ Steam Hardware announcement on Steam
  27. ↑ Michael Crider (Apr 27, 2026). Valve’s Steam Controller 2.0 arrives May 4th with a $100 price tag. PCWorld. Retrieved on Sep 16, 2026.
  28. ↑ Jay Peters (Jun 22, 2026). Valve prices the Steam Machine at $1,049. The Verge. Retrieved on Sep 16, 2026.

External links[edit]

Real-world subjects
Soundtracks Half-Life · Half-Life: Opposing Force · Half-Life: Blue Shift · Half-Life 2 · Half-Life 2: Episode One · Half-Life 2: Episode Two · Half-Life: Alyx ·The Orange Box · Portal · Portal 2
Songs "Exile Vilify" · "Cara Mia Adio (Turret Opera)" · "GLaDOS' Song" (cut) · "Still Alive" · "Want You Gone" · "You Wouldn't Know"
Companies Arkane Studios · Captivation Digital Laboratories · Cloudhead Games · Cryptozoic Entertainment · Electronic Arts · Gearbox Software · Junction Point Studios · Nvidia Corporation · Sierra Entertainment · Sixense Entertainment · Traveller's Tales · Taito Corporation · Valve Corporation · Vivendi Games · Zen Studios
People Character models · Production staff · Voice actors
Other media Comics: Portal 2: Lab Rat · Randolph the Red-Nosed Turret · Turret Lullaby
Development books and articles: The Art of Portal 2 · The Final Hours of Half-Life 2 · The Final Hours of Portal 2 · Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar · The Final Hours of Half-Life: Alyx
Films: Half-Life: Uplink · Portal
Documentaries: Half-Life: 25th Anniversary Documentary · Half-Life 2: 20th Anniversary Documentary
Half-Life 2 vignettes: Raising the Bar (Timelapse Opening · The Slideshow Briefing · Alyx · Now Arriving: City 17 · Weather Control · Train to City 17) · Uncorrected proof (In The Ant Lion's Den · Old Friends · Scrapland)
Mascots Bendy · Mr. Valve
Official art Concept art · Cover art · Promotional art · Images with transcriptions
Other ApertureScience.com · BreenGrub · Canon · Epistle 3 · Games · Half-Life and Portal universe · Half-Life Audio Script · Half-Life Mod Expo · Recurring themes · Retcons
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