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Source SDK to be made free for all

Valve has decided to make its Source SDK free for all users, rather than require at least one Source title be purchased to obtain access to the engine.
Xav de Matos
6

Valve has confirmed that its Source software development kit will be made available for free to anyone that wishes to use it. The news isn't entirely surprising considering the current requirements of obtaining the Source SDK. Currently, the SDK is available to users that own at least one Source-based title, a redundant stipulation considering Team Fortress 2's new free to play changeover.

The move was confirmed earlier today by Rock, Paper, Shotgun, after original word came from a Reddit thread detailing the change. Asking Valve's Robin Walker if purchasing an item in the Team Fortress 2 "Mann Co. Store" would give users access to the Source SDK, Walker replied: "Yep. That said, your email has triggered a process here that made us re-examine that, and we’re going to just go ahead and make the Source SDK freely available. Thanks for making us better!"

Walker tells RPS that Valve is still in the process of making the change, which is a complicated process due to the multiple versions of the SDK. The "gist," he says, is that the Source SDK will be made freely available to all.

If you're interested in exploring your creativity with the Source SDK and don't know where to start, make sure to check out the engine's official documentation.

An official announcement and estimated time for the switch has yet to be revealed.

Xav de Matos was previously a games journalist creating content at Shacknews.

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  • Shacknews legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
    reply
    June 30, 2011 4:30 PM

    Xav de Matos posted a new article, Source SDK to be made free for all.

    Valve has decided to make its Source SDK free for all users, rather than require at least one Source title be purchased to obtain access to the engine.

    • Leviathan41 legacy 10 years
      reply
      June 30, 2011 4:52 PM

      "Walker tells RPS that Valve is still in the process of making the change, which is a complicated process due to the multiple versions of the SDK. The "gist," she says, is that the Source SDK will be made freely available to all."

      Robin Walker is a dude!

    • nofxsux legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
      reply
      June 30, 2011 5:24 PM

      This is awesome news. Now all they have to do is make it run natively on OS X.

      • Dragzeela legacy 10 years
        reply
        June 30, 2011 5:32 PM

        It can't be native to both, For Windows and OS X cannot coexist o.o

      • kiddygrinder legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
        reply
        June 30, 2011 8:37 PM

        it must exist in some way for osx or they wouldn't have been able to port all those source engine games.

    • okellyc legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
      reply
      July 1, 2011 7:26 AM

      Source SDK is so so far behind UDK, When mapping is source it fees like you need to build your level around the static meshs as you cant resize them unlike in UnrealED.
      No real time lighting previews, and ViS is one big big pain in the ass, you cant build the map you want you need to build load of turns and rooms just so you can work with ViS, other wise you map takes hours to compile. I could list more stuff that make is just seem old Vs UnrealED but as i love TF2 ill deal with it

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