HL2: Episode Three isn't Valve's big surprise, says Newell

The dream: gone. Heartbroken. Am cry.

Valve boss Gabe Newell has said that whatever Valve's surprise is for E3 next week is not (reiterate: not) Half Life 2: Episode Three.

In an email reply to a user from fansite Halflife2.net, Newell said the surprise "isn't Ep 3".

He went on to add in a later email that the teaser image that was discovered at the end of last week, which seemed to show that something was cooking regarding the final chapter of the HL2 saga, was "fake".

Valve announced last week it had canceled its E3 event, which would have shown off Portal 2 for the first time, to instead be replaced by said surprise.

Half Life 3, then?

Thanks, CVG.