Seeing its massive potential, Valve Corporation (the creators of Half-Life ) bought the rights to the game and hired both Le and Cliffe.
The story of is one of the most famous "rags-to-riches" tales in gaming history, beginning not in a corporate office, but as a hobby project between two students. The Origin Story
The version most people refer to as the "classic" 2000s experience is . It is still officially supported and widely played today.