Metro Exodus developer 4A Games has announced the release of Exodus SDK, a software development kit for Metro Exodus and Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition. Exodus SDK is the full engine kit that was used to develop Metro Exodus – not just a modding tool – and it’s currently available on Steam, Epic, and GoG stores for players who own a copy of either version of Metro Exodus.
Exodus SDK contains a scene editor, model editor, navigation mode, particle mode, terrain tool, weather editor, camera track editor, and visual script. This means you can do anything you want, starting from adding and manipulating all kinds of objects in the game, creating models and textures, transforming the weather, or even tampering with AI behavior without writing a single line of code. There are even tutorials and mock levels included for the players to experiment with and tear apart using the studio’s own development tools.
For the uninitiated, the significance of having a visual script editor is that it allows you to create in-game events and control objects without writing any code, but this process – despite being easy and fast – has its limitations. Visual scripting usually runs slower than native code, so developers start first by quickly prototyping a new feature in a visual script, then replacing it with native code later on to speed up the process.
There are also many things that can’t be done within a visual script interface, such as control flow or debugging. Creating AAA experiences using it is hard stuff, but it might be possible if it’s inside the studio’s own development framework.
Of course, this generous gift comes with the usual precautions, such as not being able to use anything created in Exodus SDK for commercial purposes, share it behind a paywall, or sell anything made using it. Mod.io support is integrated as well, so it would be easier for players to manage and share their self-crafted content.
The studio also reassures fans that they are still working hard on their projects, despite the Ukraine-Russia war circumstances, which include a new Metro game, a multiplayer experience in the Metro universe, and a whole new IP, as revealed in their 2020 studio update.