GoldenEye: Source receives first major update since 2013

GoldenEye: Source is one of the most popular and enduring total conversion mods for Half-Life 2. As the name implies, it's a Source remake of the Nintendo 64 shooter, or at least, the multiplayer component of the Nintendo 64 shooter. With no major updates issued since 2013, you might have assumed the mod was finished with, but in the next 24 hours it's getting a new update.

Among the new maps v5.0 ushers in is a version of the Dam map – the first single-player mission in the original game, tweaked here to accommodate competitive play. Noting the linearity of the original, the new version's designer Torn explained the changes.

"The layout of the map had to be altered to allow for more interesting and engaging gameplay, while also staying true to the original," he wrote. "One example of how this was achieved was by creating an entirely new sewer system that creates a path between the front and back sides of the map. It was important to give people a choice on where to go, and not force them to go in any one specific direction."

Other new maps include Aztec, Bunker, Depot and Caverns, bringing the level count to 25. There are also two new game modes in the form of 'A View to a Kill' and 'Gun Trade', and movement should be more fluid too with the introduction of strafe running, which increases player speed.

While the map additions are exciting, the new weapon models and modifications are quite thorough as well, and are detailed over on the new GoldenEye: Source website. For instance, attempting to shoot with an empty magazine will cause the weapon to dry fire, delaying reloads.

Here's the launch trailer:

Shaun Prescott

Shaun Prescott is the Australian editor of PC Gamer. With over ten years experience covering the games industry, his work has appeared on GamesRadar+, TechRadar, The Guardian, PLAY Magazine, the Sydney Morning Herald, and more. Specific interests include indie games, obscure Metroidvanias, speedrunning, experimental games and FPSs. He thinks Lulu by Metallica and Lou Reed is an all-time classic that will receive its due critical reappraisal one day.