DayZ creator Dean Hall releases open-source game development framework Brutal
Industry veteran Dean Hall has rolled out Brutal, an open-source game development framework made in collaboration by two of his companies, Ahwoo and RocketWerkz. Read more
DayZ developer Dean Hall has unveiled Brutal, an open-source game development framework jointly created by his companies Ahwoo and RocketWerkz. The framework, written in C#, is freely available for use, including in commercial games, and does not require any royalties. Developers are only required to include a reference to the Brutal copyright notice in their game's credits.
The development of Brutal began in 2022 and has already been employed in six projects by three different studios, including RocketWerkz's Kitten Space Adventure and Ludeon Studios' Rimworld engine. Notably, Kerbal Space Program creator Felipe Falanghe is also working on a project using Brutal.
Hall clarified that Brutal is not a game engine but rather a framework, which can be utilized to create games directly, as RocketWerkz did with Kitten Space Agency, or even to build one's own engine, as Ludeon Studios did. At its core, Brutal features a custom interoperability layer that enables C# to access native APIs and libraries. The framework is designed with a strong emphasis on minimizing allocations and unnecessary overhead, focusing on accomplishing low-level tasks exceptionally well.
Hall's motivation behind creating Brutal stems from his perception of engine giants Unity and Unreal consistently failing to address developers' concerns. He expressed concern about the potential erosion of developers' competitive advantages as engine companies may begin seeking additional revenue through royalties, subscriptions, or more restrictive licensing. Hall criticized Unity's numerous issues and Epic Games' boss, Tim Sweeney, for chasing trends like the metaverse and AI while neglecting performance and stability.
Hall emphasized that developers should not abandon Unity or Unreal but highlighted the growing dependence on a few large technology companies and the need for alternatives. He was optimistic about the emergence of more frameworks like Brutal, given the decreasing cost of creating alternatives. Hall noted that having access to the source code and the ability to build upon the technology would provide developers with more options.
He expressed a desire for developers to have the freedom to fork the framework and forge their own paths if needed, ensuring they are not solely accountable to the engine vendors.
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