Weaponizer
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The Weaponizer was a planned weapon that was developed for the cancelled Half-Life 2: Episode Three.
Overview[edit]
Based on various leaks of Episode Three code, the Weaponizer is known to be a device utilizing concrete, liquid, and metal in some unknown fashion.[1] The weapon's model would publicly surface in the 2026 Steam2 server content dump, revealing details that hint towards its function. Examination of its animations show two firing states: a looping attack sequence and a "kick" attack sequence in which the weapon recoils. Its animations also suggest the ability to absorb and discharge something. It has one known associated sound file, water_high_pressure.wav, located in a dedicated Weaponizer sound folder.[2] The internal metadata of this sound file dates it to January 10, 2008.
The game files of Portal 2 also includes a particle data file named paint_spray_fx.pcf which contains particle effects known to have been used by the Weaponizer. These particles provide additional insight into the potential functionality of the weapon. Among them, there are a set of "tube" particles meant to attach to the empty left and right mounts on the model. These particles show water, fuel, and fire running through the "tubes", along with accompanying "world" particles named as the sources of these elements, indicating they would be absorbed from the environment by the Weaponizer. There are also tube particles for explosive and flechette modifiers.
Another weapon called "proto1" was prototyped for Episode Three which could consume physics props to use as ammunition.[3] This similar mechanic of absorbing materials in the game world for ammo may have eventually evolved into the Weaponizer's implied functionality.
The Half-Life 2: 20th Anniversary Documentary presents footage from Episode Three which shows a brief glimpse of an unidentified weapon using the Weaponizer's model.[4] In the very brief time it is shown on-screen, the weapon is never fired, leaving its abilities unknown. Although the model choice seen in the video suggests this unidentified weapon could be the Weaponizer itself, this is not definite as it is known the Weaponizer's model was used at the time as a placeholder for some of the in-development weapons. As indicated by its ammunition icon, the weapon is shown to consume depleted uranium-235, which alongside evidence from previous Episode Three leaks suggests the weapon could be the Tau Cannon and Gluon Gun returning from the original Half-Life.[5][6]
The Weaponizer's model is also seen in Portal 2 development footage as the placeholder model used in that game for the Paint Gun.[7]
Gallery[edit]
Viewmodel of the Weaponizer.
Unidentified weapon from the documentary using the Weaponizer model.
References[edit]
- ↑
Dota 2 Client Leaked – Including Actual HL2: Episode Three Code on LambdaGeneration
- ↑ Portal 2 game files,
reslists\e3_paint_speed_tbeam.lst - ↑
episodic/Episode3/in Source SDK 2013 on GitHub - ↑
Half-Life 2: 20th Anniversary Documentary on YouTube
- ↑ Episode 3 and SOB FGDs leaked! on ValveLeakware (February 18, 2013) (archived)
- ↑ ep3.fgd on Valve Archive
- ↑ Portal Problems - Lecture 11 - CS50's Introduction to Game Development 2018 on YouTube
