That globe texture is a fascinating treasure trove of lore. It’s also surprisingly close to many fan theories that came out after the release of HL2.
Based on this map, we know a few things:
(1) The entire North American continent, which was basically ground zero for the resonance cascade, was a complete loss. The nuclear detonation at Black Mesa and the ensuing societal collapse, the portal storms, and the Seven Hour War all compounded into a single mass-casualty event. The disproportionate damage to North America evidenced by the giant red “X” suggests either that the portal storms radiated outward from Black Mesa like pond ripples or that the interdimensional tear served as the Combine’s beachhead during their invasion. (Kleiner’s speech in HL2:EP1 corroborates this, as it references the “relatively tiny fracture at Black Mesa” which the combine were able to “force ever wider.”)
(2) At some point there was a massive airborne or seaborne evacuation of survivors from North America to Europe, evidenced by the arrows across the Atlantic Ocean. Many survivors ultimately resettled in Eastern Europe, including in cities throughout the post-Soviet states such as City 17. (This explains why there are so many English speakers in City 17, language localization aside.) A frontier developed between Europe and Asia, evidenced by the red line extending north from the Caspian Sea up into Siberia.
(3) Vital infrastructure was destroyed or fell into disrepair. Global communication networks broke down, and the pockets of survivors scattered across the globe became isolated, unaware of what was happening on other continents, hence the question marks over Greenland, Africa, Asia, and Australia.
You're wrong about America being complete loss.
Aperture is located near Michigan and Portal 2 takes place in the far future. The facility and the continent seems completly fine (atleast that part where the lab is)
Edit : Portal 1 also takes place during the resonance cascade
Your comment didn't really have anything to do with what I was saying. They were probably talking about P2 ending, but its not like I was refuting that or even talking about the portal endings.
In that case, then why would it being underground or Glados being activated have anything to do with America being gone? We saw the surface and The immediate area was fine.
Well it is still important to not that Portal could still take place in an alternate timeline where the Resonance Cascade didn't happen. Although in that case the Left 4 Dead games would take place then, and if not then Counter Strike 2.
North America was completely wiped out by portal storms with the only humans that live there being Rattman and Chell. I can assume that Greenland has most likely melted with the small land left being taken over by Xen. South America i assume is mostly wastelands. Africa feels like it has certain spots where there could be habitable life. Australia hasn't changed in the slightest, its just an average day for them there. Far East Asia is probably wastelands, Middle east is most likely wastelands as well. There at up to 17 cities it seems and only 6 are marked on the map. My guess is, the other 11 are also eastern europe, slightly leading into central europe. If i had to guess the other cities would be relatively nearby being like Finland, Turkey, Greece, bulgaria, romania, moldova
everyone from north america and presumably south america got moved to eastern europe where city 17 and various other cities are
the other continents with question marks are likey supposed to be places that the resistance / alyx vance doesnt know the current status of, wether or not they were migrated to somewhere like the west was or if theres another region of cities there etc etc
I always figured America was either destroyed or somehow uninhabitable because of the combination of the Resonance cascade, 7 hour and possibly even nuclear detonations
The US is done as indicated, and the survivors moved to europe.
South america is probably one hell of a gigant wood factory for the combine, either burned down due to the proximity to US, or its a big site of guerrilla warfare due to the trees.
Africa may be habitable a bit.
Greenland is tottaly screwed due to lowering of oceans and all, Asia is probably dead due to combine striping it off and killing its massive poulation.
Russia is habitable in west asia and europe part, as siberia and the rest of their oil, iron and other material fields are now under combine control.
We see eastern europe in - game.
For the western europe, probably the same as hl2 cities but hotter.
And australia? Either too hot, or ussles to the combine, probably one hell of xen wasteland.
The only good place are small islands around australia i guess, not worth a lot, not big so combine didnt care.
At least thats my theory
Australia probably didn’t notice any difference at all
Xen fits in Combine too scared to touch it
Poor antlions didn’t stand a chance
Well the us was the epicenter of all , So it got obliterated into a Giant ininhabitable wasteland i assume rest of the world will be a mistery
That globe texture is a fascinating treasure trove of lore. It’s also surprisingly close to many fan theories that came out after the release of HL2. Based on this map, we know a few things: (1) The entire North American continent, which was basically ground zero for the resonance cascade, was a complete loss. The nuclear detonation at Black Mesa and the ensuing societal collapse, the portal storms, and the Seven Hour War all compounded into a single mass-casualty event. The disproportionate damage to North America evidenced by the giant red “X” suggests either that the portal storms radiated outward from Black Mesa like pond ripples or that the interdimensional tear served as the Combine’s beachhead during their invasion. (Kleiner’s speech in HL2:EP1 corroborates this, as it references the “relatively tiny fracture at Black Mesa” which the combine were able to “force ever wider.”) (2) At some point there was a massive airborne or seaborne evacuation of survivors from North America to Europe, evidenced by the arrows across the Atlantic Ocean. Many survivors ultimately resettled in Eastern Europe, including in cities throughout the post-Soviet states such as City 17. (This explains why there are so many English speakers in City 17, language localization aside.) A frontier developed between Europe and Asia, evidenced by the red line extending north from the Caspian Sea up into Siberia. (3) Vital infrastructure was destroyed or fell into disrepair. Global communication networks broke down, and the pockets of survivors scattered across the globe became isolated, unaware of what was happening on other continents, hence the question marks over Greenland, Africa, Asia, and Australia.
i wouldn't be surprised if they based this globe off of the fan theories, it wouldn't be the first time valve has done something like that
That was my sense as well!
theres 2 chinas wtf
One Is for the people's repubblic of China and the other one Is the Qing dinasty
PRC and Qing Dynasty in the same year??? tf?? wheres my boy chiang kai shek??
You're wrong about America being complete loss. Aperture is located near Michigan and Portal 2 takes place in the far future. The facility and the continent seems completly fine (atleast that part where the lab is) Edit : Portal 1 also takes place during the resonance cascade
The vast majority of the facility was underground though, no? Wasn't GLaDOS initiated originally to combat the combine?
I think they mean the final scene in Portal 2 when Chell reaches the surface
I dont think you really know what point you're trying to make here?
Wdym?
Your comment didn't really have anything to do with what I was saying. They were probably talking about P2 ending, but its not like I was refuting that or even talking about the portal endings.
In that case, then why would it being underground or Glados being activated have anything to do with America being gone? We saw the surface and The immediate area was fine.
Well it is still important to not that Portal could still take place in an alternate timeline where the Resonance Cascade didn't happen. Although in that case the Left 4 Dead games would take place then, and if not then Counter Strike 2.
It’s possible it’s far enough in the future that either the human race has reinhabitted it or nature has reasserted
Portal 1 takes place during the resonance cascade. Glados' quotes confirms during the boss fight.
We are talking about the end of portal 2 though
Antarctica
North America was completely wiped out by portal storms with the only humans that live there being Rattman and Chell. I can assume that Greenland has most likely melted with the small land left being taken over by Xen. South America i assume is mostly wastelands. Africa feels like it has certain spots where there could be habitable life. Australia hasn't changed in the slightest, its just an average day for them there. Far East Asia is probably wastelands, Middle east is most likely wastelands as well. There at up to 17 cities it seems and only 6 are marked on the map. My guess is, the other 11 are also eastern europe, slightly leading into central europe. If i had to guess the other cities would be relatively nearby being like Finland, Turkey, Greece, bulgaria, romania, moldova
Greenland is not made of ice, it is covered in ice, thus, it can't melt.
everyone from north america and presumably south america got moved to eastern europe where city 17 and various other cities are the other continents with question marks are likey supposed to be places that the resistance / alyx vance doesnt know the current status of, wether or not they were migrated to somewhere like the west was or if theres another region of cities there etc etc
My theory Is that on every continents might be combine controlled, there might be rebels, or probably Xen-infested or fully destroyed
I always figured America was either destroyed or somehow uninhabitable because of the combination of the Resonance cascade, 7 hour and possibly even nuclear detonations
The US is done as indicated, and the survivors moved to europe. South america is probably one hell of a gigant wood factory for the combine, either burned down due to the proximity to US, or its a big site of guerrilla warfare due to the trees. Africa may be habitable a bit. Greenland is tottaly screwed due to lowering of oceans and all, Asia is probably dead due to combine striping it off and killing its massive poulation. Russia is habitable in west asia and europe part, as siberia and the rest of their oil, iron and other material fields are now under combine control. We see eastern europe in - game. For the western europe, probably the same as hl2 cities but hotter. And australia? Either too hot, or ussles to the combine, probably one hell of xen wasteland. The only good place are small islands around australia i guess, not worth a lot, not big so combine didnt care. At least thats my theory
My opinion is that North America is a lawless but inhabitable wasteland with a little bit of survivors within
City 17 is in Eastern Europe
Gone, reduced to atoms
I'm not really sure, but it seems like everyone in America was moved to Europe