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What just happened? A former game developer just hit the jackpot while cleaning out an old storage unit – an ultra-rare beta version of the original Half-Life from 1998. And in a winning move for preservation, he's shared it with the world. The game's 26th anniversary is just a couple of months away on November 19, so this discovery couldn't come at a more exciting time for fans.
Chad Jessup, who previously worked on Destiny 2 expansions and the Xbox 360 version of Shadowrun, posted about emptying his old storage shed and finding a CD-ROM labeled "Half-Life, Beta 2, Net Test 2" amid other 90s gaming memorabilia he had stashed. The CD dates back to just weeks before the game's official 1998 release, with the date on the disc reading "10.20.98".
Adding to the astonishment, Jessup admitted being "absolutely shocked the CD didn't have any damage or rot" after sitting unprotected in storage for nearly 15 years, narrowly avoiding water damage that could have destroyed this priceless gaming relic.
– Chad Jessup ð»ð (@ubahs1337) September 19, 2024
Upon his find, Jessup teased that the beta contained "unfinished levels, script, and texture changes too. Some surprising differences" from the final retail version. As for how he scored such a legendary piece of gaming history, he mentioned serving as an external tester on the original Half-Life back in the day.
Not one to miss out on such a monumental gaming artifact, preservation enthusiasts quickly pounced. Reagan, an online archivist, worked with Jessup to upload the beta disc image to the Internet Archive for the masses to enjoy. But getting this relic up and running is no easy feat, with commenters reporting they have to remove certain files and deal with several other annoyances.
One of these hindrances was a time-bomb code that prevents the game from being activated after a certain date, though this can easily be worked around by changing the system date to any day in October 1998. Moreover, the leaked build seems to only run in the Windows ME Compatibility Mode.
Still, the determined Reagan soldiered on, documenting some early discoveries. The biggest surprise came in the level "Forget About Freeman" which completely diverges partway through into the never-before-seen "Communications Center" area. This area was cut in the final release. He also uncovered unused weapon textures, like a crossbow with an alternate bolt mechanism, plus a 3D model for a scrapped alien enemy called Stukabat.
With Reagan admitting to having spent just 15 hours with the beta so far and Jessup's hints at "unfinished levels," who knows what other surprises still await?