An early prototype of the first-person shooter game Prey, developed by 3D Realms in 1995, has been leaked online, offering gamers a chance to try out a version of the game that was never officially released. Prey was originally announced by 3D Realms in 1995 and was intended to allow players to create portals to navigate the game’s world, a mechanic that was later popularized by the game Portal. Despite demos of the portal technology being shown at industry events in 1997 and 1998, the game encountered numerous technical issues and remained in development for several years. It wasn’t until 2006 that a revised version of Prey, featuring a scaled-back version of the portal technology, was released.
The leaked prototype, which is available on Archive.org, includes multiple demo files that can be accessed through the in-game console. It is not clear how the prototype became available online. Some speculate that a former 3D Realms employee may be the source of both the Prey and Duke Nukem Forever leaks. The leak has generated excitement among fans of classic first-person shooters, with much expressing curiosity about the early versions of gameplay elements that appeared in the 2006 release of Prey.
While Prey is likely best known for its 2006 release, for fans of classic shooters, this 1995 prototype is the version of the game they have been waiting for. It is unlikely that the prototype will be able to deliver on nearly two decades’ worth of expectations and curiosity, but for classic gamers, it offers a fascinating glimpse into what could have been. The Prey prototype leaks just months after a leaker released a 2001 build of Duke Nukem Forever, also developed by 3D Realms. The recent Rayman 4 source code leak has also generated excitement among gaming enthusiasts.
