DayZ creator Dean Hall says “our industry is rotting from its core” because of big-company “greed”, aiming shots at Epic’s Unreal and Unity
DayZ creator Dean Hall has released Brutal, an open-source game development framework built as a critique of current industry practices by major engine providers. Developed in collaboration with his companies Ahwoo and RocketWerkz, Brutal is constructed in C# and available free for both personal and commercial use, with developers only required to include a copyright notice in their credits.
Hall’s move comes amid broader frustrations with industry giants Unity and Unreal Engine. He argues that both companies have “consistently” failed to be held accountable to developers and that “developers have surrendered an extraordinary amount of control.” Hall stated the industry is “rotting from its core” due to big-company “greed,” particularly criticizing both engines’ aggressive push into generative AI.
Brutal itself contains no generative AI components, positioning itself as an alternative for developers concerned about corporate overreach. Development began in 2022, and the framework has already been adopted across six projects by three different studios. Notable users include RocketWerkz’s Kitten Space Adventure and Ludeon Studios’ upcoming Rimworld update, which will run on the new Waylith engine powered by Brutal.
The framework’s distinguishing feature is its commitment to developer independence—no royalty fees, no corporate control, and transparent open-source governance. This represents Hall’s answer to what he perceives as an industry increasingly bent on restricting developer autonomy and extracting maximum profit from creators.