Modders are the unsung heroes of the gaming industry. Without their creativity, genres like MOBAs (born from RTS mods like StarCraft and Warcraft III), auto battlers (evolving directly from MOBAs like Dota 2), and even the wildly popular Battle Royale genre (thanks to an ARMA 2 mod) might not exist. That's why Valve's recent announcement is so significant.
Valve has updated its Source SDK, incorporating the complete Team Fortress 2 codebase. This empowers modders to build upon Valve's established framework, creating entirely new games. While the license mandates that these creations remain free, history shows that successful, free-to-play projects often pave the way for commercially viable iterations.
This update isn't just about Team Fortress 2; Valve has also released a major update for all Source engine multiplayer games. This includes support for 64-bit executables, a scalable UI and HUD, crucial fixes for client-side prediction issues, and a host of other improvements.
This is a monumental day for the modding community. We eagerly anticipate the innovative and groundbreaking games that will undoubtedly emerge from this initiative.