Monica Harrington's Bold Strategy Saved Half-Life and Secured Valve's Future

At the 2025 Game Developers Conference, Valve's first CMO revealed how she forced publisher Sierra to renegotiate a lopsided contract, ensuring Half-Life's success and Valve's independence.

Sierra initially planned to pull all marketing funds from Half-Life shortly after its release, jeopardizing the game's success and Valve's future.
Monica Harrington, then Valve's CMO, threatened to expose Sierra's mismanagement and abandon game development entirely if the publisher did not renegotiate the contract.
Harrington successfully convinced Sierra to launch a Game of the Year edition of Half-Life, which revitalized sales and became a major hit.
The renegotiated contract allowed Valve to regain control of the Half-Life IP, setting the stage for its rise as a leader in PC gaming.
At the Game Developers Conference, Harrington reflected on how these events ensured Valve's survival and eventual dominance with titles like Half-Life 2 and the Steam platform.