Warzone 2100
Design your own tanks. Then design better ones.
How to install Warzone 2100 for free
Warzone 2100 is a free rts game released under Open Source (GPL-2.0). It runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, needs about 550 MB of disk space, and requires no account, payment or trial. The fastest route is the PlayBound Launcher, which handles the download and setup in one click.
One-click install
PlayBound fetches the official release — no third-party mirrors.
Installation steps
- 1
Install the PlayBound Launcher, then find Warzone 2100 and press Install. The launcher downloads the official release, unpacks it and creates a shortcut. This is the fastest route and it never uses third-party mirrors.
- 2
Alternatively, download Warzone 2100 directly from the official site at https://wz2100.net. Always download from the official source — third-party mirrors of free games are a common malware vector.
- 3
Official releases are published on GitHub at github.com/Warzone2100/warzone2100/releases. Pick the newest stable release matching your operating system.
- 4
Windows
Run the downloaded installer and follow the prompts. If Windows SmartScreen warns about an unrecognised publisher, that is normal for open-source projects without a paid code-signing certificate — choose More info, then Run anyway.
- 5
macOS
Open the downloaded .dmg and drag the app into Applications. On first launch macOS may refuse to open it as unidentified — right-click the app and choose Open to approve it once.
- 6
Linux
Check your distribution's package manager first, which is usually the easiest route. Otherwise download the AppImage from the official site, mark it executable and run it.
chmod +x *.AppImage && ./*.AppImage - 7
Launch the game and look at the settings menu before your first session — resolution and control defaults are worth checking. Warzone 2100 needs roughly 550 MB of free disk space.
System requirements
Minimum
1.8 GHz CPU · 2 GB RAM · OpenGL 2.1 GPU · 1 GB storage
Recommended
2.5 GHz CPU · 4 GB RAM · Any modern GPU · 2 GB storage
Install questions
Is Warzone 2100 free?
Yes, entirely. Warzone 2100 was a commercial game in 1999 whose source code and assets were later released. It is now open-source under GPL-2.0 with no purchases or advertising.
Is Warzone 2100 still being updated?
Yes. Volunteers have maintained and improved it continuously since it was open-sourced, and releases continue to ship.
Does Warzone 2100 have a single-player campaign?
Yes, a substantial one. Units and research carry between missions, so losses have lasting consequences — one of the more interesting campaign structures of its era.
What makes Warzone 2100 different from other RTS games?
The unit designer. Instead of a fixed roster you research bodies, propulsion and weapons separately and combine them into your own designs, backed by a research tree running to hundreds of technologies.
Does Warzone 2100 have multiplayer?
Yes, including dedicated servers, though the player population is modest compared with newer free strategy games. Live server counts are shown on the Warzone 2100 servers page.