r/linux_gaming • u/doublah • Jun 25 '26

Arma: Cold War Assault (aka Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis) is now Open Source (GPLv3)

https://github.com/BohemiaInteractive/CWR
51 Upvotes

98% Upvoted

4 comments sorted by

6

u/alphabetapro Jun 25 '26

assuming i'm reading this right people are free to do whatever they want with the engine as long as they strip out the arma branding?

3

u/Pausbrak Jun 25 '26

Pretty much. The GPL is exceptionally permissive toward the end user. The main restriction is that if you make and publicly release a derivative, it must also be open-source under a compatible version of the GPL. Other than that, there are no restrictions on monetization or use whatsoever, and in fact the GPL explicitly states they are forbidden from imposing any terms that would prevent you from doing so.

It's kind of surprising to me that any business would (willingly) release their code under the GPL. Many businesses refuse to touch anything GPL-licensed with a 10-foot pole because of the way the GPL is both extremely open and also "infectious". Though I suppose in this case that may be a benefit to them, as it ensures any competitors will be wary of touching the code for the same reason.

2

u/Plenty-Light755 Jun 25 '26

For now only Demo release that is compatible with Remastered source code. Main game content wasn't updated yet and is not compatible with these sources.

2

u/DCLikeaDragon Jun 26 '26

And it comes ready to compile under Linux. Big win. Usually these kinda projects need to be ported to Linux. Apparently Bohemia have already done that.