The GZDoom open-source community is experiencing a significant division, leading to the creation of a new project fork named UZDoom. This split stems from disagreements over the project's leadership and, specifically, the recent inclusion of AI-generated code by GZDoom's creator and maintainer, Cristoph Oelckers, known as Graf Zahl.
Developers behind UZDoom aim to establish a more transparent and collaborative development model, moving away from what they describe as a top-down approach. This event highlights growing tensions within open-source projects regarding the ethical and practical implications of integrating AI-generated content.
Key Takeaways
- GZDoom, a popular Doom source port, has fractured, leading to the new UZDoom project.
- The split is primarily due to GZDoom maintainer Graf Zahl's use of AI-generated code.
- UZDoom promises a more collaborative and transparent development structure.
- The new fork aims to maintain compatibility with existing GZDoom mods and saves.
- This event underscores ongoing debates about AI tools in open-source development.
GZDoom's Legacy and Recent Challenges
GZDoom is an open-source port of the classic Doom game engine. It has been a cornerstone for Doom fan development for many years. Its lineage traces back to the original ZDoom project, which began in 1998. GZDoom brought modern graphics, quality-of-life improvements, and extensive modding capabilities to the original Doom source code, released by John Carmack in 1997.
Hundreds of gameplay modifications, WAD files, and even commercial games rely on GZDoom. Its robust features and active community have cemented its role in the continued legacy of Doom. However, recent events have put this legacy under strain.
Fast Fact
GZDoom adds features like modern graphics rendering and deep modding capabilities to the original Doom engine, making it a foundation for countless fan-made and commercial projects.
The Role of AI-Generated Code in the Split
The immediate cause for the community's public fracturing was Graf Zahl's admission of inserting untested AI-generated code into the GZDoom codebase. While identifying AI-generated code can often be difficult, Zahl himself highlighted its use with a specific comment in the code: This is what ChatGPT told me for detecting dark mode on Linux.
This comment sparked extensive discussion among developers. Many expressed concern over the use of what they termed stolen scraped code that we have no way of verifying is compatible with the GPL.
The GPL, or General Public License, is crucial for open-source projects, ensuring code freedom and proper attribution.
"Due to some disagreements—some recent; some tolerated for close to 2 decades—with how collaboration should work, we’ve decided that the best course of action was to fork the project."
— Nash Muhandes, UZDoom Developer
Graf Zahl initially defended the use of AI snippets for boilerplate code
not central to core game features. He stated that such checks for system configuration settings could be found online, but with more effort. However, community members were firm that AI tools have no place in the workflow of an open-source project like GZDoom.
Background on Open Source
Open-source projects rely on community contributions and transparency. The code is freely available, can be modified, and redistributed, often under licenses like the GPL. This model emphasizes collaboration and clear lineage of code, which AI-generated content can complicate due to uncertain origins and licensing.
Allegations of Top-Down Management
Beyond the AI code, developers also cited a history of disagreements with Zahl's leadership style. A Reddit thread details past instances of friction within the GZDoom development community. User the-phinet outlined these long-standing issues, alongside the AI code concerns, in a GitHub bug report.
In response to the growing dissatisfaction, Zahl reportedly invited disgruntled developers to feel free to fork the project
if they were unhappy. This comment appears to have been taken seriously by a large number of GZDoom developers.
The Birth of UZDoom: A New Direction
The new fork, UZDoom, represents a significant shift. Developer Nash Muhandes emphasized the goal of creating a project that prioritizes transparent collaboration. I don’t want to see the GZDoom legacy die, as do most all of us, hence why I think the best thing to do is to continue development through a fork, while introducing a different development model that highly favors transparent collaboration between multiple people,
Muhandes stated on the DoomWorld forums.
The UZDoom team has promised to maintain compatibility with existing GZDoom saves and mods. This ensures that players can transition smoothly without losing their progress or access to their favorite content. Future plans for UZDoom include new features and a more stable development structure.
- Key changes in UZDoom:
- Elimination of the "one man decides everything" development model.
- Mandatory peer review for all pull requests.
- Full transparency in all development processes.
- No direct commits to the master branch; all changes require review.
Impact on the Doom Community
The GZDoom community includes many dedicated developers and players. The infighting over a source port for a game released over three decades ago highlights the enduring cultural impact of Doom. While GZDoom will continue to exist, UZDoom is expected to become the new flagship version of the engine.
Agent_Ash, a ZDoom Discord moderator, confirmed that UZDoom will not be led by Graf Zahl. He will not have the final say on new features or changes, although he is welcome to contribute. This dramatic split underscores how the use of AI coding tools has become a critical point of contention in open-source game development.
The Doom community has a history of forks and new source ports. DSDA-Doom, for example, emerged after PRBoom+ development concluded. Many dedicated Doom players already use various specialized ports. Switching between them is generally straightforward, especially with UZDoom's stated compatibility.
Community Perspective
One GitHub user, Cacodemon345, summarized the sentiment of many developers: "If using code slop generated from ChatGPT or any other GenAI/AI chatbots is the future of this project, I’m sorry to say but I’m out."
Looking Ahead for Doom Development
It remains to be seen how this split will ultimately affect the long-term development of what has become a crucial part of Doom's continued legacy. However, the UZDoom developers are confident in their ability to move forward. Many of those creating the fork have been responsible for the majority of GZDoom's development for years.
Their initial GitHub project discussions for UZDoom show rapid agreement on implementing changes that Graf Zahl previously rejected. This indicates a clear path for continued innovation and improvement within the new project. For players, the transition is expected to be minimal, with continued access to a vibrant modding scene.