By David Craddock

Valve sure has had a lot to deal with during [i]Half-Life 2[/i]’s development: massive source code theft; a few years of missed release dates and slipups, most of which can be attributed to the aforementioned source code theft. But as many gamers know, Half-Life conquers all, and though it may seem to good to be true, (there have been a few fraudulent posts from “Gabe Newell” these past couple months) it seems [i]Half-Life 2[/i] may soon be in our hands.

After a succinct post from Valve CEO Gabe Newell that read “The RC [Release Candidate] went to VU yesterday,” ShackNews.com went to investigate. Direct from Gabe Newell himself comes the short but oh-so-sweet response, “Yes. It’s getting close.”

A “release candidate” is a near-final version of software that needs to be heavily scrutinized by the publisher to ensure there aren’t any hidden bugs, glitches, etcetera that may further delay the creation of a gold copy of the game. If approved, the release candidate will be sent to factory for production.

It is important to note that while no specific release date for the game has been given, online retailers have given an 11/04 release date for the game. As always, that is subject to change, but luck may appear to be with the gamers this time around.

Stay tuned to MyGamer.com for all your Half-Life 2 news.