Sorry "Half-Life" fans, Bossa Studios' Surgeon Simulator 2013 is in fact NOT hinting at a Valve "Half-Life 3" release for this year, despite the conspiracy theories to the contrary.

Recently fan forums have speculated on a link between an accidental Half-Life 2 update which involved Korean audio, and the recent Team Fortress related update for Surgeon Simulator.

As noted in detail by Kotaku, performing surgery on the Team Fortress 2 on the Heavy character took the player to an item which has Korean writing in the corner.

This was enough to spark a wave of speculations regarding an alternate reality game (ARG) set up by the simulation game, and Bossa Studios seemed pleased with the sudden interest.

So, we hear there's some puzzle you're trying to figure out...

— SurgeonSimulator2013 (@SurgeonSim2013) June 27, 2013

However, the studio has since disappointed "Half-Life" fans by saying that it has nothing to do with the Valve title.

"The problem with ARGs is that our brains are hardwired to find patterns everywhere. We see numbers, faces and correlations where there are none, that's how most conspiracy theories are born and how some people get convinced there's a gigantic human head on Cydonia," says studio co-founder Henrique Olifiers.

"But that's also what makes ARGs so interesting, what make them work: the different interpretations and solutions clashing for the survival of the fittest, discussed by the players."

As Bossa Studios has learned the hard way, any enticement towards a "Half-Life 3" release will be taken seriously and snowball out of control.

Recently, PC Gamer made a "joke" image on the back of the latest publication, which immediately sparked theories that this was all part of a long-winded tease towards revealing the long-awaited sequel.

"It's not. It's a joke, in the part of the magazine where we do jokes," wrote PC Gamer contributor Chris Thursten.

Looks like "Half-Life" fans will have to wait a while longer, and remain calm!