Wow ok, let’s just act like it wasn’t because I just installed Linux on my new gaming PC 🙄

I knew I was gonna get this answer but still couldn’t be bothered to check the correct term so that’s on me.

I think you’re technically right because the EULA specifies that you basically can’t use that code (or a modified version) outside of a licensed UE project, but outside of that it basically is. All the code can be read, the engine and/or its editor and all related tools can be compiled from the source, and you can make pull requests on the official repo.

IIRC it is not actually open source because you can’t modify and/or repackage it without epic having their say in it (I think one of the licenses tiers is basically you agreeing to pay upfront + royalties for the authorization to modify the engine’s code and ship the packaged version with the project)

I mean, if you want to see some games’ source code you don’t have to rely on piracy. As other people have already said, there are open source games, some developers of older games have officially released the source code (notably VVVVVV, doom, and also quake iirc), some devs have released important part of their source code (e g the entire inputs handling code of Celeste).

Additionally, the vast majority of all Unreal Engine games’ engine code, including huge AAAs like Fortnite, is in Unreal Engine (duh), which is open source source-available.

As far as I know MHW did not use the RE engine. Not sure about Rise

Edit: Rise does apparently run on the RE engine.

There is some stuff I don’t dislike about Netflix’s Witcher, but god damn, I feel like they actively set out to do the worst rewriting ever with how they treated/portrayed basically the entire Lodge of Sorceresses

Tbh they seem to be a lot more “hands off” with non-canon stuff, which I think includes all of the LOTR/middle earth licensed games, and that’s not a bad thing imo.

Tbf most devs probably want to do it, they just can’t justify it financially. Most games’ programmers are computer nerds, and they would be the ones in charge of implementing that kind of stuff. They’d happily do it because obviously, as computer nerds they love Linux, but even if they accept to do some unpaid overtime just because they really want to implement this, it might get blocked by the publisher because they don’t want that kind of stuff to bypass QA especially since it has a chance of affecting all users, and when looking at the numbers, it’s just not profitable to them.

Now the steam deck could change that dynamic because it has a decent market share, and I would love to see the actual numbers but I’d be willing to bet that most deck owners buy more games than the average player.

Source: am games’ programmer, computer nerd, and steam deck owner