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Source SDK Goes Free

Source SDK Goes Free

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In the past, those who have wanted to mess around with the Software Development Kit for Valve’s seminal Source engine have had to purchase a game that uses it. Considering that Half-Life 2 and the Left 4 Dead games are such titles, this probably hasn’t been a problem for most PC gamers. If you’ve been on the fence, though, and wanted to get into Source engine development, Valve has taken money out of the equation.

Along with the free-to-play launch of Team Fortress 2, Valve is making the Source SDK freely available to anyone who wants to use it. Though the change won’t be immediate, those who are interested should check out the “Tools” section of their game library and download the SDK.



The Source engine is already a broadly used and extremely malleable piece of software. Will the already prolific modding community expand yet further with this newest change? Or is this merely a gesture of goodwill on Valve’s part, opening the door to those who weren’t even interested in the first place?

Either way, free is free.

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