The Half-Life beta in question is Net Test 1, a PC build dated October 16, 1998. Its CD-R image was released publicly in October 2024—not newly discovered in 2026. Early examination points to cut content and unfinished assets that distinguish it from the retail game.
What was found?
Hidden Palace catalogs the disc as Half-Life (Oct 16, 1998 prototype), with the build name Net Test 1. The archive says Chad Jessup dumped and released the CD-R image on October 19, 2024. A September 2024 report by TechSpot says Jessup came across the disc while clearing storage and worked with archivist Reagan to publish its image to the Internet Archive. Jessup said he was “absolutely shocked the CD didn’t have any damage or rot”.
So “has been discovered” describes the 2024 find and release. The build itself is dated October 16, 1998; October 19, 2024 is the file-release date recorded by Hidden Palace.
What is different from the final game?
Initial findings reported by TechSpot, attributed to archivist Reagan, identify several examples of content that differs from the released Half-Life:
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- A changed level: “Forget About Freeman” diverges into a “Communications Center” area that was cut from the final game.
- Unused weapon art: the build includes weapon textures that did not appear in the final release, including a crossbow with an alternate bolt mechanism.
- A scrapped creature: it contains a model for an unused alien enemy called the Stukabat.
These are early reported observations, not a complete inventory of the disc. Hidden Palace also notes that Net Test 1 differs from the final game and from Net Test 2, the nearby prototype released three days later.
Net Test 1 vs. Net Test 2
The two names refer to separate archived builds. Their page titles describe the 1998 build dates; the release dates in the table are when the files were publicly released, not when the builds were made.
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| Detail | Net Test 1 | Net Test 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Build date | October 16, 1998, according to Hidden Palace | October 19, 1998, according to Hidden Palace |
| Public file release | October 19, 2024, according to Hidden Palace | September 20, 2024, according to Hidden Palace |
| Differences noted by the archive | Differs from the final release and Net Test 2, according to Hidden Palace | Described as having minor differences from the final game, according to Hidden Palace |
| Boot note | Hidden Palace says the host machine’s date must be set to October 1998 for this build to boot. | Hidden Palace lists a different requirement for this build; TechSpot reported a date check and a system-date workaround for Net Test 2. |
The release sequence can seem out of order: Net Test 2’s file appeared publicly before Net Test 1’s, even though its build date is three days later. The archive records a separate boot requirement for each build, so the Net Test 2 workaround should not be assumed to apply to Net Test 1.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why does this beta matter?
A surviving pre-release build offers a view of Half-Life’s development that the finished game cannot: an alternate area, unused weapon concepts, and an enemy that did not make the final cut. Because the disc image is a preserved prototype rather than a retail edition, it is best understood as an archival snapshot, not a version shown by these sources to be commercially sold. The records reviewed do not establish an official Valve comment or a full independent audit of every file.
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The original Half-Life PC game is a separate way to play the released title; it should not be confused with, or represented as including, the archived Net Test 1 beta.
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