Capcom, the renowned game developer, has announced the open-sourcing of its cutting-edge data processing and serialization library, “RE:Dox.” This move makes a key component of Capcom’s next-generation game engine initiative, REX (RE neXt ENGINE), freely available to developers worldwide.
RE:Dox: A Foundation for the REX Engine
The REX engine plan was initially unveiled by Capcom in October 2023. Its primary objective is to address and improve upon issues that have arisen with the long-term use of the RE ENGINE, driving the engine towards its next iteration through phased updates. During the “CAPCOM Open Conference RE:2026” technical showcase held in Tokyo on October 2nd, Capcom elaborated on the future roadmap for the REX plan, introducing “RE:Dox” as one of its foundational technologies.
What is RE:Dox?
RE:Dox is described as a token-based structured data engine specifically designed for .NET. Its core function is to convert various data formats into a unified structure, adhering to consistent rules. This standardization significantly enhances the efficiency of data processing, editing, and reading.
Capcom has provided practical usage examples in the project’s README on GitHub. For instance, character data, typically stored in JSON format, can be processed using the classes provided by RE:Dox. Developers can instantiate a character, such as a Level 42 Leon equipped with a handgun and a green herb. Subsequently, the data can be read, and elements like the character’s name can be modified to “Claire,” or additional items like a “knife” can be appended.
Performance Boosts
According to official benchmark tests released by Capcom, RE:Dox demonstrates a theoretical maximum processing speed improvement of approximately 2.84 times when handling JSON deserialization in parallel, compared to .NET’s standard System.Text.Json. However, the company notes that actual performance may vary based on factors such as data structure complexity, the runtime environment, and CPU capabilities.
Open Source and Licensing
RE:Dox is now available under the Apache-2.0 license. This permissive open-source license allows developers to freely use, modify, and even integrate RE:Dox into their commercial projects, provided they adhere to the license’s terms. Developers interested in exploring or utilizing the library can find it on GitHub at the following address: https://github.com/CAPCOM-TD-OSS/REDox/tree/main.
The open-sourcing of RE:Dox represents a significant contribution to the developer community, offering a powerful and efficient tool for data handling, potentially accelerating game development and other .NET projects.
