What Is ET: Legacy and How Does It Relate to Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory?

Updated

ET: Legacy is an open-source project that builds a fully compatible client and server for Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory version 2.60b. If you already play the original game and want a maintained, modernized way to keep playing it — or you host a server and want to stay compatible with existing players — ET: Legacy is designed for exactly that. It is not a sequel or a remake; it is the same game, kept alive and up to date by an international community of developers and users.

The core relationship: same game, compatible client and server

The key fact is compatibility. ET: Legacy targets Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory 2.60b, the version of the game whose gameplay the project describes as still unmatched by many despite its age. That means:

  • It is not a different game. ET: Legacy exists to run Enemy Territory, not to replace it with new mechanics.
  • Client and server are both covered. The project aims to provide a fully compatible client and server, so both sides of a multiplayer session are addressed.
  • Compatibility is the design goal, which is what lets existing players and servers stay connected rather than splitting the community.

For a player, this matters because you can keep playing the Enemy Territory you know. For a server host, it matters because compatibility is what keeps your server reachable by the existing player base.

Who runs it and how it stays alive

ET: Legacy describes itself as an international community of developers and users keeping Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory alive and up to date. Two things follow from that:

  • Development is collaborative and open. The project states its work is done in an open, transparent and friendly manner, and that anyone is welcome to join the efforts.
  • It is community-maintained, not a commercial product. The site presents it as an open-source project rather than a company-backed release.

The site also surfaces ongoing activity: a "Latest activities of our main repository" section and "Blog Notes," which are the places to check for current development movement rather than assuming a static release.

What players and server hosts actually gain

The practical benefit is continuity with maintenance. Based on how the project describes itself:

Audience What ET: Legacy offers
Players A compatible client for Enemy Territory 2.60b, kept up to date by an active community
Server hosts A compatible server, so existing players can still connect
Contributors An open, transparent project where anyone is welcome to join

The site also mentions an ET: Legacy Test Server, which is the natural place to see the client and server working together before committing your own setup.

Where to get it and how to get involved

Everything starts at etlegacy.com, the project's home. From there:

  1. Download the client or server — the site is the distribution point for the project's builds.
  2. Check the Test Server — useful for confirming compatibility and current state before you host or play seriously.
  3. Follow the repository activity and Blog Notes — these show what is actively changing.
  4. Join the community — the project explicitly welcomes anyone who wants to contribute, whether as a developer or a user.

How to decide

Choose ET: Legacy if you want to keep playing or hosting Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory 2.60b with a client and server that a community still maintains and updates. It is the right fit when compatibility with the existing game and player base is your priority. If you were looking for a new game built on the Enemy Territory name, that is not what this is — ET: Legacy's whole purpose is to preserve and maintain the original.