TLDR: A significant schism has occurred within the GZDoom modding community, resulting in the creation of a new fork called UZDoom. The split was primarily triggered by the lead developer, Christoph ‘Graf Zahl’ Oelckers, allegedly integrating AI-generated code into the project, raising concerns among other developers about licensing violations and project management.
The highly popular GZDoom source port, a cornerstone for playing classic Doom games and their extensive modifications, has experienced a major internal division, leading to the emergence of a new project named UZDoom. This dramatic split, which became public around October 15, 2025, stems from a controversy surrounding the alleged introduction of AI-generated code by GZDoom’s lead developer and maintainer, Christoph ‘Graf Zahl’ Oelckers.
Developers who have departed from the original GZDoom project voiced strong objections to the use of large language models (LLMs) for code generation. Their primary concern revolves around the potential violation of GZDoom’s GPLv3 license, as AI-generated code is generally considered uncopyrightable. This legal ambiguity could pose significant risks for commercial games that rely on GZDoom, such as ‘Selaco’ and ‘Hedon’, which might face legal challenges due to the incorporation of unlicensed code.
The controversy escalated following a bug report on the GZDoom GitHub page titled ‘Project management,’ which detailed issues beyond just the AI code. Accusations included Graf Zahl pushing untested code, hiding ‘not insignificant changes in commits,’ and attempting to obscure discussions about the AI-generated content through ‘force-pushing’ on Git. Developers also cited a long history of alleged unprofessional behavior and a disregard for pull requests. When confronted, Graf Zahl reportedly responded with a terse ‘Feel free to fork the project under a,’ which was seen as the final catalyst for the split.
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The newly formed UZDoom project is described as a direct continuation of GZDoom, aiming to inherit all its features while establishing a ‘more stable development structure with healthy collaboration and less power given to individual ‘project leads’.’ Early source code for UZDoom is already available, with compiled builds expected shortly. The developers have outlined plans for future enhancements, including improved netcode, ray tracing support, and a default deactivation of texture filtering, a visual setting often deemed unsuitable for Doom’s original aesthetic. The community largely views this schism as a positive development, anticipating a healthier and stronger future for the engine under a more community-oriented approach.
