Listening to the advice and wishes of their fans, the Red Orchestra Team has decided to delay the release of the much anticipated 2.0 version of their WWII themed UT2k3 mod in favor of harnessing the upcoming Unreal Tournament 2004 engine. While the recent decision to shift focus may come as a shock to some, team coder Erik Christensen (a.k.a. Butto) agrees with the team's decision, and feels it to be a prudent move in the long run.
"The move to UT2004 is a no brainer," says Christensen. "Given the popularity of the demo and the new features that the game provides, coupled with the ability to easily port over UT2003 mods, it really isn't a much of a decision. The transition will make Red Orchestra a much better mod and hopefully expand the community."
Fans should not expect drastic changes to the game just yet, though in time the team hopes to take advantage of the improved skeletal mesh collision, menu enhancements, and vehicles that the 2k4 engine provides. The next release will contain improved locational sound, new character models, new weapons, and new maps. Version 2.0 is slated for release in mid-April with plans to enter Phase 3 of the Make Something Unreal Contest.
