Valve Corporation, the developer of Half-Life 2, was founded by former Microsoft employees Gabe Newell and Mike Harrington.
Valve released the original Half-Life game, which set the stage for the development of Half-Life 2.
Valve publicly announced Half-Life 2 and began building anticipation for the sequel.
Valve released Half-Life 2, receiving critical acclaim for its graphics, physics, and story.
The source code of Half-Life 2 was leaked, causing significant issues for its release schedule and security.