Retail version of HL2 Aftermath confirmed

Half-Life 2 expansion Aftermath will be getting a retail release after all, Valve's Doug Lombardi has confirmed, and the developer aims to release the game in September.

Speaking to our sister site Eurogamer at E3, Lombardi said: "Aftermath will be coming out at retail, but we're finalising our publishing partner." Valve recently parted ways with Half-Life 2 publisher Vivendi-Universal Games, who will cease distribution of the company's products at the end of August.

Asked when the developer's new publishing partner was likely to be revealed, Lombardi said it would be "soon, in the summer". He also added that the current release date estimate for Aftermath is "September".

Those with long memories will recall Valve signed up with Activision back in Spring 2003 for future content, but so far the only release has been Day Of Defeat. It is not known whether the US publisher will be adding to its expanding roster of FPS developers, with id and Infinity Ward among others already signed up.

Half-Life 2: Aftermath puts players back in the role of Gordon Freeman, with an expanded role for sidekick Alyx, and deals with events immediately following the conclusion of Half-Life 2.