Before 2006 In 1999, the domain half-life3.com is registered under the same details as {LINK REMOVED}half-life2.com, with Valve cited as the contact.[6] The URL used to redirect to The Orange Box website, but now returns a blank page. 2006 In May, Episode Three is announced for a Christmas 2007 release.[7] The same month, it is revealed that a new Episode will be released every six to eight months, and will take four to six hours to complete. An Episode Four, developed outside of Valve and with a stand-alone plot, is also mentioned.[1][8] 2007 In June, Gordon Freeman is confirmed as the main protagonist of Episode Three.[9] In a May interview given by David Speyrer and Doug Lombardi about the development of Episode Three, it is stated that a lot of work has gone into creating a natural progress of topography and climate between Two and Three, and that the player will not head back to City 17, at least not in this game. Furthermore, Speyrer does not want to comment about speculation started by PC Gamer UK on the game's climax being a battle set at an Arctic research station.[10] In October, Episode Two is released. At the end of the game, Gordon Freeman and Alyx Vance are about to leave to Arctic locations, in search of Judith Mossman and the newly recovered Borealis, the Aperture Science icebreaker, suggesting this is what the sequel to Episode Two will be about. In a November interview, David Speyrer explains that an Episode Three teaser at the end of Episode Two was deliberately omitted to avoid ruining the mood the player would have been in after the final scene by having it followed by a high action trailer. Another reason was to give them more creative freedom, and avoid being committed to anything seen in the potential trailer, stating they are trying to do "something pretty ambitious". He also states they did not want to make the same mistake as with the Episode Two trailer featured at the end of Episode One, as it is radically different from the finished game.[11] In November as well, the first concept art for Episode Three is released by GamesRadar.[12] In December, Episode Three is said to be only the end of the current Half-Life 2 story arc, not the end of the overall Half-Life franchise, nor the episodic releases, with even more episodic games unconnected to the current story arc to be made.[13] This hints at the Episode Four mentioned in 2006. 2008 In March, concept images are uploaded to Andrea Wicklund's Picasa portfolio. The images are later leaked, and the original images taken down.[14][15] They are presented below. Episode Three Concept Art Leaked Mid 2008 Alyx 1 Episode Three Concept Art Leaked Mid 2008 Alyx 2 Episode Three Concept Art Leaked Mid 2008 Alyx 3 Episode Three Concept Art Leaked Mid 2008 Alyx 4 Episode Three Concept Art Leaked Mid 2008 Alyx 5 Episode Three Concept Art Leaked Mid 2008 Alyx 6 Episode Three Concept Art Leaked Mid 2008 Alyx 7 Episode Three Concept Art Leaked Mid 2008 Alyx 8 Episode Three Concept Art Leaked Mid 2008 Alyx 9 Episode Three Concept Art Leaked Mid 2008 Alyx 10 Episode Three Concept Art Leaked Mid 2008 Alyx 11 Episode Three Concept Art Leaked Mid 2008 Alyx 12 Episode Three Concept Art Leaked Mid 2008 Alyx 13 Episode Three Concept Art Leaked Mid 2008 Alyx 14 Episode Three Concept Art Leaked Mid 2008 ep3character 1 Episode Three Concept Art Leaked Mid 2008 ep3character 2 Episode Three Concept Art Leaked Mid 2008 ep3character 3 Episode Three Concept Art Leaked Mid 2008 ep3character 4 Episode Three Concept Art Leaked Mid 2008 ep3character 5 Episode Three Concept Art Leaked Mid 2008 ep3character 7 Episode Three Concept Art Leaked Mid 2008 ep3character 8 Episode Three Concept Art Leaked Mid 2008 ep3character 9 Episode Three Concept Art Leaked Mid 2008 EP3 1 Episode Three Concept Art Leaked Mid 2008 EP3 2 Episode Three Concept Art Leaked Mid 2008 EP3 3 Episode Three