Half-Life: Alyx Pre-Loading And Launch Times Announced

Half-Life: Alyx, the first new entry in the series in 13 years, is finally launching on March 23 as a virtual reality-exclusive game. Developer Valve has now announced exactly when the game will launch and when pre-loading will begin.

Pre-loading starts on Friday, March 20, Valve confirmed in a tweet. Players can download the entire game at that point, but of course it won't become playable until March 23. The game unlocks at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET on March 23, Valve also confirmed.

Half-Life: Alyx will play on all SteamVR supported headsets, including Valve Index, which will be in stock again soon. If you need to brush up on exactly what hardware you'll need to fight the Combine, check out our exhaustive list of VR headsets that will get you up and running later this month. Consult the Half-Life: Alyx system requirements to make sure your PC is VR-ready too.

Half-Life: Alyx is a prequel to the franchise, focusing on the character Alyx Vance. She is now voiced by Ozioma Akagha, who replaced the original voice actor, Merle Dandridge.

Valve is reportedly looking to make more Half-Life games in the future. Developer Robin Walker previously said, "We absolutely see Half-Life: Alyx as our return to this world, not the end of it."