id Software Has No Plans For Doom 3 BFG On Linux

Yesterday when mentioning that Doom 3 BFG Edition is already cleared for a GPL open-source release, I mentioned it was unlikely id Software would be providing a native Linux client for this brand new game. Those fears have now been confirmed with id Software saying they have no plans for a Linux version.

Doom 3 BFG Edition is a major overhaul of the original eight-year-old Doom 3 first person shooter. Doom 3 BFG is still based upon the id Tech 4 engine that is well supported under Linux and there was a great native Linux client for the original Doom 3, but now times are different at id Software.

Timothee Bessett left id Software, who was their former Linux expert for many years, and John Carmack has said Linux didn't produce positive results at the Texas game company.

Brian Harris, a developer at id Software, tweeted me yesterday to confirm they are not planning to make a Linux version of Doom 3 BFG, which was released for Windows a few days ago. "@michaellarabel @id_aa_carmack we have no plans to create a Linux version but I bet someone will port it once the code is released."

Fortunately, with the Doom 3 BFG Edition source-code already being cleared for release under the GPL and the original Doom 3 source-code that was supported by Linux already being out there, some community-based support is likely to come. Some open-source Linux developers will hopefully port the Doom 3 BFG code-base atop the original Doom 3 (id Tech 4) code-base and we'll see (unofficial) Linux support that way.

Oliver McFadden, the open-source graphics driver developer who lately has been playing around with his own fork of id Tech 4 fork known as Dante, wrote me: "Should be fairly trivial to support #Doom3 BFG Edition natively on GNU/Linux with the existing platform code from #Doom3."

Hopefully this will happen soon after the Doom 3 BFG code-drop with this updated version of Doom 3 offering superior graphics, improved audio, and other enhancements to drive new energy into the popular eight-year-old game.

Sadly, it still looks like there will not be any Linux support for Doom 4, which is to be based upon the id Tech 5 engine. Open-sourcing of id Tech 5 is still many years away (assuming they continue in their tradition of open-sourcing their old engines after reaching the end of their useful commercial life) so any unofficial support there is also many years out.