BRUTAL is released and open source under the MIT License. It is free for commercial use with no royalties, provided users give credit and display the copyright and logo on the startup screen along with the NOTICE file.
BRUTAL is a game development framework built on C# and .NET with C++ libraries and Vulkan, from RocketWerkz and Ahwoo, led by DayZ developer Dean Hall. It is not a complete engine like Unity or Unreal. It is meant as a foundation for custom engines, and it is free for commercial use with no royalties. The license requires credit, a logo display, and compliance with the NOTICE file.
The framework and its source code were released on October 15, 2026, under the MIT License. BRUTAL is used in RocketWerkz's Kitten Space Agency. It was also provided as the foundation for Waylith, the engine built for Ludeon Studios' RimWorld. The RimWorld migration gives the framework a working reference build.
Hall frames BRUTAL as an alternative to Unity and Unreal on contract terms, royalties, and account restrictions. The open source release and the permissive license make the same argument in concrete form: teams can own their technical foundation without royalty obligations.
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RocketWerkz and Ahwoo, led by DayZ developer Dean Hall, released the game development framework BRUTAL on October 15, 2026. Built on C# and .NET with C++ libraries and Vulkan, it is meant as a foundation for custom engines rather than a complete engine like Unity or Unreal. It is free for commercial use with no royalties, though the license requires credit and a logo display.
Dean Hall, creator of DayZ, has released the BRUTAL game development framework and its source code through his studio RocketWerkz. BRUTAL is used in RocketWerkz's Kitten Space Agency and was provided as the foundation for Waylith, the engine built for Ludeon Studios' RimWorld. It is open source under the MIT License and free for commercial works, with conditions: credit, copyright and logo on the startup screen, and the NOTICE file.