The first of the trilogy of episodic games, Half-Life 2: Episode 1, has gone Gold with the release date of June 1, 2006.  The game is the first in a three part series, with the second installment coming late this year.

Episode One offers a new single player experience created by Valve, and is designed to be four to six hours in length. Stepping into the hazard suit of Dr. Gordon Freeman, you face the immediate repercussions of your actions in City 17 and the Citadel. Alyx Vance and her robot, Dog, will accompany you in your efforts to aid in the human resistance's desperate battle against the totalitarian alien menace of the Combine.

In addition to the new single player experience, two multiplayer games are included. And those who purchase Episode One will have free access via Steam (www.steamgames.com) to Half-Life 2: Lost Coast, the interactive technology demo that introduces High Dynamic Range lighting to the SourceTM Engine, Valve's award-winning game technology.

To celebrate the gold status, Valve Software has issued the first of the promised teaser movies (26MB) for Half-Life 2: Episode One. This extremely high-res clip sports half a minute of in-game action starring Alyx Vance.