X0r_jmp, the anonymous leaker(s) who has been releasing a number of prototypes (open in new tab) of Dukes Nukem (open in new tab) over the past year, has also been working on Blood, another shooter franchise that gained popularity in the 1990s. On January 4, x0r_jp published the ongoing source code for Blood, a year before its release (opens in new tab).

Developed by Monolith, who would go on to create the FEAR and Shadow of Mordor series, Blood can be seen as a kind of sister title, as it was created with the same Build Engine as Duke Nukem. Blood" has the lightning-fast movement and sprawling maze-like levels typical of shooters of the time, as well as unique weapons (sticks of dynamite, hairspray, Zippo lighter flamethrowers?

Unlike the prior releases of "Year of Duke Nukem" and "Duke Nukem-Adjacent Leaks," there appears to be nothing practical for players or modders. The real fun is purely academic: the archive is a window into the development of a PC masterpiece and into Monolith's creative and technical process.

For example, the BLOOD.txt file in the archive contains a changelog of the game in progress, including patch notes dating back to January 1995. Its first entry contains a general summary of enemies implemented in the game up to that point and a brief summary of their status in the build; of Blood's riff on Evil Dead's limbless enemies, the log's writer declares, "Way cool!" I think it's neat to see the creator's fingerprints in this way, especially when it's so endearing and totally unaffected.

Similarly, the '90s FPS Twitter fan account "Build Engine Aesthetics" (opens in new tab), whose complaints and scathing digs at Ken Silverman, Build Engine's architect, in comments on the build's code found buried: "By calling this function periodically, we can solve all the problems that Ken causes by changing the database arrangement.

Whether x0r_jmp continues to uncover these classic shooter relics or not, it's a rare and unlikely peek behind the curtain of gaming history. if you want to browse Duketrove + Blood yourself, visit x0r_jmp's Rentry.co page (opens in a new tab) where you can find the file.