Similar thing is happening with Fluidsynth... They talk about a workaround though.
"Please note: This *v2.4.7* is expected to be the last release for which precompiled WindowsXP binaries can be shipped! (See #1590)"
https://github.com/FluidSynth/fluidsynth/pull/1590

I'm quite surprised, that they were able to use XP compatible CI after end of June, other projects CI for WS2019 just stopped working at that date.

Anyway, for projects, that use GCC for compilation, XP (and even 9x) compatible builds are still working, and are expected to work for few years still (at least until Ubuntu 22.04 image is available on CI). Example of such projects are DevilutionX or Vanilla Conquer.

Srandista wrote on 2025-07-18, 14:24:

I'm quite surprised, that they were able to use XP compatible CI after end of June, other projects CI for WS2019 just stopped working at that date.

Anyway, for projects, that use GCC for compilation, XP (and even 9x) compatible builds are still working, and are expected to work for few years still (at least until Ubuntu 22.04 image is available on CI). Example of such projects are DevilutionX or Vanilla Conquer.

Yes the GNU tools don't have a hard cut-off point like Microsoft. But as time goes by, libraries add NT6-specific bits. As it is all open source, things can still be worked-around, but it takes effort.

I recently uploaded a few new Windows XP game builds:
- DevilutionX v1.6.0-dev from the source tree of yesterday, with per-pixel lightning feature. I know their intention is to release a Windows XP version when their v1.6.0 is ready, but it is taking a long time...
- TR1X v4.13.2 (Tomb Raider 1)
- TR2X v1.3.2 (Tomb Raider 2)
I re-build the earlier TRX versions from spring 2025, with a better method, and re-uploaded them.

Also prepared a CMake v3.28.6 (from June 3, 2024) that can run on Windows XP. I will add it to the page soon.

gerwin wrote on 2025-07-29, 15:14:

I recently uploaded a few new Windows XP game builds: - DevilutionX v1.6.0-dev from the source tree of yesterday, with per-pixel […]
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I recently uploaded a few new Windows XP game builds:
- DevilutionX v1.6.0-dev from the source tree of yesterday, with per-pixel lightning feature. I know their intention is to release a Windows XP version when their v1.6.0 is ready, but it is taking a long time...
- TR1X v4.13.2 (Tomb Raider 1)
- TR2X v1.3.2 (Tomb Raider 2)
I re-build the earlier TRX versions from spring 2025, with a better method, and re-uploaded them.

Are there minimum prerequisites for running TR1X-XPmod?
I've tried it on my 2.66GHz Pentium 4, 1.5GB of RAM, an FX 5700VE graphics card, and Windows XP SP3, but I haven't had any success with either version 2.07 or 4.13.2.

vico wrote on 2025-08-03, 05:42:

Are there minimum prerequisites for running TR1X-XPmod?
I've tried it on my 2.66GHz Pentium 4, 1.5GB of RAM, an FX 5700VE graphics card, and Windows XP SP3, but I haven't had any success with either version 2.07 or 4.13.2.

Definitely yes. These Tomb Raider ports use OpenGL 3.3 and old drivers cannot handle that, or handle it poorly.
Intel HD graphics - I don't think it can work with the available Windows XP drivers.
AMD Radeon - Only the very last iCafe 2015 driver for Windows XP runs OpenGL 3.3 properly, and up to speed. Was tested to work on HD 5000 to 7000 series.
NVidia - I can say that a lowly Geforce GT 710 with Windows XP driver v344.75 works well.

Same goes for two other ports: The Force Engine in Hardware 3D mode and eDuke32 in OpenGL mode. (eDuke32 uses some OpenGL in software mode so Intel HD bugs out regardless)

I was already planning to add these remarks to my web-page.

For Tomb Raider 2 there is an older port/wrapper project. This one is less demanding on graphics' hardware and driver:
https://github.com/Arsunt/TR2Main

gerwin wrote on 2025-08-03, 19:16:

Definitely yes. These Tomb Raider ports use OpenGL 3.3 and old drivers cannot handle that, or handle it poorly. Intel HD grap […]
Show full quote

Definitely yes. These Tomb Raider ports use OpenGL 3.3 and old drivers cannot handle that, or handle it poorly.
Intel HD graphics - I don't think it can work with the available Windows XP drivers.
AMD Radeon - Only the very last iCafe 2015 driver for Windows XP runs OpenGL 3.3 properly, and up to speed. Was tested to work on HD 5000 to 7000 series.
NVidia - I can say that a lowly Geforce GT 710 with Windows XP driver v344.75 works well.

Same goes for two other ports: The Force Engine in Hardware 3D mode and eDuke32 in OpenGL mode. (eDuke32 uses some OpenGL in software mode so Intel HD bugs out regardless)

I was already planning to add these remarks to my web-page.

For Tomb Raider 2 there is an older port/wrapper project. This one is less demanding on graphics' hardware and driver:
https://github.com/Arsunt/TR2Main

I'm going to try other options, Glidos for starters, thanks for the response.

I noticed in the TRX github that they are adding code now for Tomb Raider 3 support. Cool! Though they don't show a decompilation graph like they did for Tomb Raider 2. So maybe they expect the TR3 engine to be quite similar, or they are referring to some earlier decompilation like https://github.com/Trxyebeep/tomb3 , maybe? I don't know.

Added a Windows XP compatible build of current FHeroes 2 version 1.1.14-SVN (2-4-2026). The Heroes of Might&Magic II remake. It is on my website.

Wanted to offer a current build of Dune Dynasty (v1.6.4) as well, but I think it is better to stick with v.1.6.2 due to a suspected carryall bug. (That may, or may not, just be my build.)

Waiting for full Tomb Raider 3 support in TRX, before I try a similar thing with that project.

https://github.com/m-x-d/Heretic2R

Heretic II (1998, Raven Software) reverse-engineered source port.

This was mentioned on the GamingOnLinux site.

Widescreen support (with automatic HUD scaling). Rendering framerate decoupled from network packets sending rate (with theoretic […]
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Widescreen support (with automatic HUD scaling).
Rendering framerate decoupled from network packets sending rate (with theoretical maximum of 1000 FPS).
OGG music playback.
Most of special effects are updated at rendering framerate (instead of 20 FPS).
Improved map loading times.
Lots of cosmetic improvements (so the game plays as you remember it, not as it actually played).
Many bugfixes.

1Used libraries
2
3    glad
4    libsmacker
5    SDL3
6    stb (specifically, stb_image_write and stb_vorbis)

Download is a 32bit executable with a MajorOS and MajorSubsystem of 6 so likely Vista+.

DosFreak wrote on 2026-04-03, 16:30:

https://github.com/m-x-d/Heretic2R

Heretic II (1998, Raven Software) reverse-engineered source port.

This was mentioned on the GamingOnLinux site.

This did make me notice the official SDL3.dll binary has broken the Windows XP compatibility. Currently at v3.4.2.0. Or maybe it is the Github build system limitation, it started right around that date of June 2025, when Github retired older MSVC for auto-builds.
SDL3 devs wrote this around 08-2025 "No, we intend to continue to support it."
Last XP compatible SDL3.dll in their releases is v3.2.16 from Jun 3, 2025.

Edit:
https://github.com/dethrace-labs/dethrace Their release dethrace-v0.10.1-windows-x86.zip has a SDL3.dll v3.4.2.0 that is XP compatible.