This project brings Quake 4 into the modern era through Quake4Doom, making it the first port to bring Quake 4 into open source form while preserving the original game's look and feel.
The engine has been ported to x64, with legacy VM code removed and rewritten in C++, allowing for deeper control over the engine and rendering pipeline.
Rendering runs through an OpenGL-to-D3D12 shim layer called IceBridge, which translates legacy fixed-function calls into a modern backend. Because the shim layer maintains the OpenGL interface, the original renderer remains largely untouched.
This project is significant not just as a rendering upgrade, but as a preservation and accessibility milestone. By opening up the codebase through this porting effort, Quake 4 is now available in an open-source form for the first time, creating new opportunities for study, extension, modernization, and long-term maintenance.
The result is a unique visual style:
- Classic early-2000s aesthetics remain intact
- Original rendering style is preserved
- Modern graphics backend improves compatibility and control
- It still feels like Quake 4
- ⚡ Direct3D 12 backend
- 🧱 OpenGL shim layer (IceBridge)
- 🧬 x64 port with VM removed and rewritten in C++
- 🎮 Original gameplay and renderer preserved
- 🔥 Modern GPU acceleration
- 🌌 The Awakening support
- 🚀 First port to bring Quake 4 into open source form
- Direct3D 12 (D3D12)
- OpenGL 1.x style emulation via IceBridge
- id Tech–based rendering pipeline
🚧 Work in progress
quake4doom quake4 d3d12 opensource opengl graphics rendering x64 icebridge
