The fan-made project Portal: Alive & Kicking, a long-in-development remake of the original Portal, is officially finished. Despite over a decade of work, the team behind the mod is currently unable to release the game, claiming that Valve has ceased communication regarding the required licensing.

Quick Facts

  • Project Status: 100% finished and ready for release.
  • The Hurdle: Requires a non-commercial license from Valve to distribute modified Portal 2 source code.
  • Communication: The development team, led by Dot Operator, reports they have not received updates from Valve since submitting license paperwork several months ago.
  • Platform: PC (Steam).

Licensing and Development Hurdles

Developer Dot Operator clarified the situation on the Steam forums, noting that the project is stuck in a legal limbo. Because the mod utilizes modified source code from Portal 2—for which the team previously signed an NDA—they are required to obtain a specific non-commercial release form from Valve to legally publish the game.

"I have not had any updates from Valve since filling out a non-commercial license template a few months ago," Dot Operator stated. "The game is done, but we do not have the ability to release it on Steam right now."

The development team has attempted to resolve the issue through standard Steamworks support channels. However, Dot Operator explained that because these tickets are processed through the same system used for general store purchases, there are no alternative avenues for communication once a request goes unanswered.

Community Response

Concerns regarding the project's status peaked in late June, prompting Dot Operator to confirm that development had not been abandoned. Following the lack of progress, members of the Portal community have begun raising awareness on platforms like Reddit. User Livid-Active-3121, who posted about the situation, urged fans to bring attention to the project in hopes that public visibility might prompt a response from Valve regarding the pending paperwork.

While Valve has a history of supporting fan-led projects—most notably approving the commercial release of the Half-Life remake Black Mesa in 2020—the silence surrounding Portal: Alive & Kicking remains unexplained. Unlike Black Mesa, this project is intended to be free-to-play, adding to the frustration for those who have followed its development since it was first announced in 2011.