Valve releases Team Fortress 2 game code

Re:Valve releases Team Fortress 2 game code by jsheard on Tuesday February 18, 2025 @04:53PM (#43095606)

The UE4/UE5 source code is only available under license, but the bar to acquire said license couldn't possibly be lower. You just connect a GitHub account, click through a EULA, and automatically get access to almost* the entire source code for free.

* The NDA'ed console bits are hidden of course but all the PC code is there. Not just release snapshots either, you can see all of Epics commits in real time.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Valve releases Team Fortress 2 game code by bayindirh on Tuesday February 18, 2025 @04:57PM (#43095643)

But it’s source available, and it’s not free software, correct?

It’s just free as in beer.

“Click through EULA” is the mammoth in the room.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Valve releases Team Fortress 2 game code by jsheard on Tuesday February 18, 2025 @05:01PM (#43095673)

Yes it's source available, not true free software. Kvirani never said it's free software though.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Valve releases Team Fortress 2 game code by NoahKAndrews on Tuesday February 18, 2025 @06:19PM (#43096399)

I think the point is that you're not legally allowed to borrow its techniques

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Valve releases Team Fortress 2 game code by account42 on Wednesday February 19, 2025 @11:24AM (#43103894)

Something as abstract as "techniques" is in general not copyrightable. Worst case, there is a software patent but that is not something that is granted automatically.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Valve releases Team Fortress 2 game code by Gigachad on Tuesday February 18, 2025 @05:08PM (#43095756)

It's not open source but it is free

[ Parent | on HN ]