Black Mesa has been in development for so long that it's easy to forget it wasn't already released. Originally released in 2012 as a mod for Half-Life 2, a standalone version has been available on Steam Early Access since 2015. However, with the ambitious Xen chapter, a substantial expansion, nearly complete, the main game will soon be branded 1.0 and released into the wild.

With the release candidate nearly ready, Crowbar Collective has revealed some of the changes that can be tested in the public beta before leaving Early Access: the AI has been tweaked the most, making soldiers more capable, using suppressive fire and flanking maneuvers, seem to utilize their weapons more effectively.

Because of the improved AI, Crowbar Collective has also made some changes to improve the pace of the game, adjusting areas to better utilize more skillful enemies. Several older areas were also renovated to match Xen's very clean visual quality.

After launch, the team will continue to tweak the game as they see feedback and will eventually release a 1.5 version. We jokingly call this Black Mesa: but rest assured it won't be a re-release or paid content. After 1.0, we'll spend the next few months revamping the game, identifying rough edges and refining the art of Earth and Xen. We will also continue to improve our workshops, host team and community events, and document as much as possible about the Source engine and how to best use it.

We can't wait to get our hands on the full version of this work, which has been in development for over a decade. If you can't wait a while longer, you can still play the entire book now, including the Xen chapters.