December 01, 2004 - In a sly, swift update Tuesday evening, Valve released Half-Life 2: Deathmatch, the multiplayer component of Half-Life 2 which everyone had so gleefully hoped would appear. The game is now available via Steam to Half-Life 2 owners. Yes, the gravity gun and physics are included.

Map selection at release time is minimal, but Valve has already launched a Half-Life 2: Deathmatch Map Making Contest, with $5,000 and $3,000 prizes at stake. Click over here for details.

Along with the much-anticipated multiplayer mode, Valve at last released the Half-Life 2/Source SDK, giving would-be mod authors the tools necessary to create and edit Half-Life 2 maps and models.

With Deathmatch here at last, the mod kit available, and the amazing single player campaign ready to be savored again, we're beginning to see how lasting Half-Life 2 should be.

Stay tuned for more.