.PK7 File Extension

ZDoom and GZDoom are applications that allow gamers to play modded versions of Doom, Heretic, Hexen, and other old first-person shooters. To play modded games, players load additional game data packages, which contain player-created graphics, sounds, and maps, alongside a game's original files. The additional game data packages are typically saved as PK7 or PK3 archives.

While PK3 archives are Zip-compressed, PK7 archives are 7z-compressed. As a result, PK7 files are typically smaller than PK3 files that contain the same game assets. However, data contained within PK7 files may load less quickly in ZDoom and GZDoom, causing a player's game to lag.

Less commonly, Sonic Robo Blast 2 players also use PK7 archives to store player-created game data files. For example, players who use the Zone Builder application to create their own SRB2 maps may save those maps in PK7 archives.

To load a PK7 file in ZDoom or GZDoom (cross-platform):

1. Place the PK7 file in the same directory as ZDoom.exe or GZDoom.exe.
2. Drag the PK7 file over ZDoom.exe or GZDoom.exe.
3. ZDoom or GZDoom will open and ask which game you want to use your PK7 file alongside. Select a game and begin playing.

If you want to examine the game data files a PK7 archive contains, you can decompress the archive and examine its contents using a 7z decompression utility, such as:

• 7-Zip (Windows)
• Corel WinZip (Windows)
• Corel WinZip Mac (Mac)
• B1 Free Archiver (cross-platform)