Valve announces the release of a new Half-Life 2 Anniversary Update to celebrate tomorrow's 20th anniversary of the launch of Half-Life 2. And for those who don't already have the classic first-person shooter, it's free to own if you claim a copy by the end of the weekend. The Anniversary Update changes how the game is presented in the store, as Episodes 1 and 2 are included, and accessible from the main menu, so the entire incomplete game is complete in one place. Additional developer commentary, integrated Steam Workshop support, bug fixes, and new graphics options are also part of the new package. The previous version of the game will remain playable as a beta branch, the listings for the episodic DLC will have reduced visibility, and the DLC apps will remain available as tools for mod compatibility. There's also the announcement of a 2025 second edition of Raising the Bar book and a new Half-Life 2- 20th Anniversary Documentary from the folks that created last year's Half-Life: 25th Anniversary Documentary, which includes previously unrevealed footage of the Episode 3 that never was. There's also an archive of older clips and materials from showing the prerelease game at trade shows. Here's the rundown:

We created a new webpage to showcase all the updates in detail, but here's a quick rundown of what's new:

• Episodes One and Two are in the box. Half-Life 2 now includes the complete Episode One and Episode Two expansions along with the base game. They’re accessible from the main menu, and you will automatically advance to the next expansion after completing each one.
• Developers Commentary for Half-Life 2. While the Episodes have always had commentary tracks, the base game never did... until now. We got the team back to record three and a half hours of new behind-the-scenes commentary for Half-Life 2.
• Integrated Steam Workshop support. Browse, install, and play user-created content for Half-Life 2 without ever leaving the game. Look for it in the Extras menu!
• Bug fixes and new graphics options. Visual pops, missing sprites, and mismatched lighting introduced in updates over the years have been scrubbed away. And we've added some settings to push the visual fidelity of Half-Life 2 farther than was allowed in the original release.