# X-Wing Alliance: statically recompiling the 1999 PC game for Windows

> xwa statically recompiles Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance by lifting its x86 code to C and linking it with a Win32/DirectX compatibility layer and Direct3D 11 renderer. The workflow uses the user's Steam installation and a locally obtained decrypted executable. The author reports an alpha build that reaches campaign flight and completes the first mission under autoplay; audio and much game logic remain untested.

- Type: Case study
- Targets: Game
- Category: Independent reconstruction cases
- Relationship: Independent reconstruction project
- Sources reviewed: 2026-11-06
- Added to the catalog: 2026-11-09
- Original resource: <https://github.com/sp00nznet/xwa>
- Primary source: <https://github.com/sp00nznet/xwa/blob/53fdfd1661e34c8180c0f2bbb8693a10e0263c01/README.md>
- Catalog page: <https://awesomerea.org/resources/xwa-wing-alliance-case/>
- Record JSON: <https://awesomerea.org/resources/xwa-wing-alliance-case/record.json>
- Chinese version: [简体中文](https://awesomerea.org/zh/resources/xwa-wing-alliance-case/index.md)

## Requirements & limits

- **Prerequisites:** A personal Steam installation of Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance and a locally captured decrypted executable.
- **Prerequisites:** Windows 10 or 11, Visual Studio 2022 with x86 C++ tools, CMake 3.20+, Python 3.10+ with capstone and pefile, and Git Bash.
- **Limits:** The build is alpha; audio and much game logic remain untested, and a regression run reports an intermittent crash.
- **License:** MIT license.

## Primary sources

1. <https://github.com/sp00nznet/xwa/blob/53fdfd1661e34c8180c0f2bbb8693a10e0263c01/README.md>
2. <https://github.com/sp00nznet/xwa/blob/53fdfd1661e34c8180c0f2bbb8693a10e0263c01/docs/architecture.md>
3. <https://github.com/sp00nznet/xwa/blob/53fdfd1661e34c8180c0f2bbb8693a10e0263c01/LICENSE>

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## About this entry

The description was reviewed against primary sources.
Original editorial content: MIT. Linked projects, papers and assets retain their own rights and licenses.