Black Mesa Source to be unleashed next week

The long awaited Half-Life reskin mod, Black Mesa Source, has been given a release date of September 14.

The mod, developed by a team of 40 volunteers, consists of a complete overhaul of the original Half-Life using the source engine from Half-Life 2. This includes new character models, textures and a selection of redesigned levels.

The version being released will take players to the end of Lambda Core and won't include the final series of levels set on the alien planet of Xen as the mod's team is still working on this. The team also stated that Xen will be expanded beyond the original game and will be more than just an epilogue to the mod.

The mod team is also still working on the Black Mesa Deathmatch multiplayer mode which will be released at a later date.

Black Mesa Source will be free to download from the mod's website next Friday. A soundtrack will also be available for download on a pay-what-you-want basis.

"We're doing our best to help bring the immense vision of this project into reality, and we are very excited for what the future brings," said Black Mesa Source project leader Carlos Montero.

The much anticipated community developed mod has been in development since Half-Life 2 was released in 2004 and was previously slated for a 2009 release.