# Lore — Next-Generation Open-Source Version Control System by Epic Games

> A new open-source version control system from Epic Games built in Rust, designed for large-scale game and media development workflows.

## Install

Save in your project root:

# Lore — Next-Generation Open-Source Version Control System by Epic Games

## Quick Use
```bash
cargo install lore-vcs
lore init my-project
cd my-project
lore add .
lore commit -m "Initial commit"
```

## Introduction
Lore is an open-source version control system developed by Epic Games, written in Rust. It is designed from the ground up to handle the challenges of large-scale game development: massive binary assets, huge repositories, and workflows that traditional VCS tools struggle with.

## What Lore Does
- Tracks changes across codebases containing large binary assets efficiently
- Provides fast clone and checkout operations even for multi-gigabyte repositories
- Supports branching and merging workflows familiar to Git users
- Handles file locking for binary assets that cannot be merged
- Scales to repository sizes common in game and media production

## Architecture Overview
Lore is built in Rust for performance and memory safety. It uses a content-addressable storage backend optimized for large files, avoiding the performance cliffs that Git encounters with binary-heavy repositories. The data model supports both traditional diff-based tracking for text files and chunk-based deduplication for binaries.

## Self-Hosting & Configuration
- Install via Cargo or download prebuilt binaries for Windows, macOS, and Linux
- Configure remote storage backends (local filesystem, S3-compatible, or custom)
- Set up file locking rules per extension or path pattern
- Integrates with existing CI/CD pipelines through standard CLI conventions
- Authentication supports SSH keys and token-based methods

## Key Features
- Purpose-built for repositories with large binary assets common in game development
- Fast operations on multi-gigabyte repos where Git would struggle
- File locking prevents conflicts on non-mergeable assets like textures and models
- Rust implementation provides reliable performance without garbage collection pauses
- Open-source from Epic Games with production backing from Unreal Engine workflows

## Comparison with Similar Tools
- **Git** — dominant VCS but degrades with large binaries even with Git LFS
- **Git LFS** — bolt-on large file support for Git with added complexity
- **Perforce** — industry-standard for games but proprietary and expensive
- **Plastic SCM (Unity)** — game-oriented VCS acquired by Unity, now closed source
- **Dolt** — SQL database with Git semantics, different use case entirely

## FAQ
**Q: Is Lore compatible with Git?**
A: Lore is a separate VCS with its own data model. Migration tools are planned but it does not use Git's format.

**Q: Can I use Lore for non-game projects?**
A: Yes. Any project with large binary assets (media production, ML model weights, design files) can benefit from Lore.

**Q: How does file locking work?**
A: Users can lock files on the server to prevent concurrent edits. Locks are advisory by default but can be enforced per repository policy.

**Q: What is the current project status?**
A: Lore is in active development. Epic Games uses it internally and the public release is evolving rapidly.

## Sources
- https://github.com/EpicGames/lore

---
Source: https://tokrepo.com/en/workflows/asset-dc394d43
Author: AI Open Source