Dean Hall launches free open source game development framework Brutal

Industry veteran Dean Hall, the creator of DayZ, has launched Brutal, a free open-source game development framework. GamesIndustry.biz, Eurogamer, GameDev.net, WN Hub, Tech Insider, and Shattered.io all reported on the launch. The software was created through a collaboration between two of Hall's companies, Ahwoo and RocketWerkz. [1][2][3][4][5][6]

According to GamesIndustry.biz and Tech Insider, Brutal is built in C# and is free to use for both personal and commercial games. It carries no royalty fees. Studios using the technology are only required to include a Brutal copyright notice within the credits of their games. [1][5]

Work on the framework originally began in 2022, as GamesIndustry.biz reported. GamesIndustry.biz and Shattered.io both noted that the technology has already been utilized across six different projects at three studios, including RocketWerkz's title Kitten Space Adventure. [1][6]

Hall criticized existing major game engines such as Unity and Unreal, telling Eurogamer that developers have surrendered an extraordinary amount of control. GamesIndustry.biz reported Hall's statement that commercial engines have consistently failed to be held accountable to game creators. [1][2]