decomp.dev shuts down as new AI models crack game decompilation matching

banteg · x · 2026-10-15

decomp.dev sunset post: AI transformed matching decompilation

decomp.dev, founded in 2024 to centralize matching decompilation progress, is shutting down, with its directory fully archived.

Evolution of AI in decompilation:

Early experiments had mixed results. With Opus 4.6 and GPT-5.4 (early 2026), models clearly were trained on matching decomp — they knew community tools without explicit guidance and performed decently in clean, well-documented codebases
Results still needed heavy human cleanup of "cheating" matches (code compiling identically but not plausibly written by the original developers), and cost per task was prohibitive
Newer models like GPT-6-Astra shifted things: better at complex instructions, cross-referencing symbols/debug info, writing natural code; exceptional at writing permutation scripts to test many source forms for matches (inlined helpers, signature changes, operation ordering); coherent across long-horizon tasks; faster and cheaper

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