Obtained by Joystiq, an alleged email communication between Valve chief Gabe Newell and a ValveTime.Net forum member confirms that new Valve hardware, along with Half-Life 3, Left 4 Dead 3, and Portal 3 will not be announced at E3 this year.

Newell instead affirmed that announcements and information concerning their already well-known projects will be the highlight of their appearance at this year’s show. These include Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Dota 2, and Steam ‘Big Picture Mode.’ As of now, Valve has not made an official comment on the email exchange.

This news will probably be devastating to some and no surprise to most. There is the possibility that this email is completely fake though. Also, until we hear any official word, I would wager that this is not some type of elaborate double-talk or ploy either; he’s Gabe Newell, not David Lynch. Maybe next year?