mˈɑːɹk lˈeɪdlɔː, ðə ɹˈaɪɾɚ fɚðə hˈæflˈaɪf sˈɪɹiz, lˈeɪɾɚ sˈɛd hiː hæd ɪntˈɛndᵻd ˈɛpɪsˌoʊd θɹˈiː tʊ ˈɛnd ðə hˈæflˈaɪf tˈuː stˈoːɹi ˈɑːɹk, æt wˌɪtʃ pˈɔɪnt hiː wˈʊd "stˈɛp ɐwˈeɪ fɹʌm ɪt ænd lˈiːv ɪt tə ðə nˈɛkst dʒˌɛnɚɹˈeɪʃən".
Marc Laidlaw, the writer for the Half-Life series, later said he had intended Episode Three to end the Half-Life 2 story arc, at which point he would "step away from it and leave it to the next generation".