Remake Homeworld: Cataclysm difficult because source code is missing

The Homeworld Remastered Collection will be released on February 25, which will bundle a polished version of Homeworld and Homeworld 2. Some fans are disappointed that Homeworld: Cataclysm isn’t in the bundle. That’s because the source code is missing.

According to Brian Martel, director of developer Gearbox, the studio that polishes up both parts of the Homeworld series, his company would be happy to include Homeworld: Cataclysm in the bundle. However, that does not work because the source code of the game is missing. According to Martel, the code has been missing for years, although he hopes someone will turn up with the original source files. When they come out, Martel wants to use them to at least re-release the original version, though he hopes for more. He hopes Gearbox can do “some more clever things” with the code.

Cataclysm was created by small Barking Dog Studios, which released the game in 2000. The studio used a modified version of the engine used to create Homeworld for the game. Cataclysm was originally intended as an expansion for Homeworld, but was promoted as a standalone game by publisher Sierra. It was the first game that Barking Dog Studios delivered. The studio made a second game, the tactical shooter Global Operations, to be bought by publisher Rockstar. As Rockstar Vancouver, the studio created the controversial Bully, only to be merged with Rockstar’s Toronto studio.