CI artifacts can't be used to export projects, PCK version mismatch reported

[JNSStudios]

Tested versions

Reproducible in:
(used PR version of engine available here: https://github.com/godotengine/godot/actions/runs/17751041443)
Editor: 4.6.dev.gh-103553.5a30da07b (Windows, x86_64)
Windows template used for export: 4.6.dev.gh-103553.5a30da07b (godot.windows.template_release.x86_64.exe)
Exported EXE --version: 4.6.dev.gh-103553.5a30da07b

A Godot Discord user with the "Godot Senior" role remarked that "The version check in Godot’s export system has always been a bit picky, it doesn’t really handle “dev” or “PR” suffixes gracefully."

System information

Godot v4.6.dev (5a30da0) - Windows 11 (build 26100) - Multi-window, 1 monitor - Vulkan (Forward+) - dedicated NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 (NVIDIA; 32.0.15.8157) - Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-9600K CPU @ 3.70GHz (6 threads) - 31.93 GiB memory

Issue description

When exporting from a dev/PR build of the editor, the PCK header stores only numeric version fields (major.minor.patch). This tags the pack as 4.x.0 even though the editor/runtime identify as 4.x.dev. On launch, the loader compares numeric tuples only and treats 4.x.0 (stable) as newer than 4.x.dev (pre-release), rejecting the pack with the message: ERROR: Pack created with a newer version of the engine: 4.x.0.

This occurs even when:

• Editor, template EXE, and exported EXE all report the same dev version via --version.
• Running the EXE in an empty folder (no sidecar .pck present).
• Running a template with --main-pack against the freshly exported .pck.

Expected:
A 4.x.dev runtime should be allowed to load a pack produced by the same line (same major/minor/patch) from a dev/PR editor, or there should be an explicit opt-in to allow it.
Actual: The pack is rejected as “newer” because the comparison ignores pre-release status and uses numeric (major, minor, patch) only.

Steps to reproduce

1. Use a 4.x.dev editor build (e.g., 4.6.dev.gh-103553.5a30da07b) and matching 4.x.dev Windows export template. (The editor and template I used is available here : https://github.com/godotengine/godot/actions/runs/17751041443)
2. Create a minimal project (or use the template I provide later).
3. Export Windows Release with:
   • Architecture: x86_64
   • Embed PCK: On
   • Export Console Wrapper: No
   • Code signing: Off
   • Resources: Export all resources
4. Copy the exported EXE to a brand-new empty folder and run it via the terminal.
5. Observe:
   ERROR: Pack created with a newer version of the engine: 4.x.0.
6. (optional) Export with "Embed PCK: Off" to get a PCK file alongside your EXE, then run:
   godot.windows.template_release.x86_64.exe --main-pack "(path to pack name).pck"
   (results in the same error)

Sample commands:

godot.windows.editor.x86_64.exe --version
4.6.dev.gh-103553.5a30da07b

godot.windows.template_release.x86_64.exe --version
4.6.dev.gh-103553.5a30da07b

".\exported_game.exe" --version
4.6.dev.gh-103553.5a30da07b

# Running the exported EXE (with no flags) prints:
ERROR: Pack created with a newer version of the engine: 4.6.0.

Minimal reproduction project (MRP)

export version mismatch test project.zip

[bruvzg]

On launch, the loader compares numeric tuples only and treats 4.x.0 (stable) as newer than 4.x.dev (pre-release), rejecting the pack with the message: ERROR: Pack created with a newer version of the engine: 4.x.0.

This is false, only the first two numbers are checked on PCK loading:

godot/core/io/file_access_pack.cpp

Line 267 in eb3d6d8

ERR_FAIL_COND_V_MSG(ver_major > GODOT_VERSION_MAJOR || (ver_major == GODOT_VERSION_MAJOR && ver_minor > GODOT_VERSION_MINOR), false, vformat("Pack created with a newer version of the engine: %d.%d.%d.", ver_major, ver_minor, ver_patch));

All 3 numbers are saved:

godot/editor/export/editor_export_platform.cpp

Lines 1919 to 1921 in eb3d6d8

	p_fd->store_32(GODOT_VERSION_MAJOR);
	p_fd->store_32(GODOT_VERSION_MINOR);
	p_fd->store_32(GODOT_VERSION_PATCH);

Also, there's no such version as 4.6.dev, it's 4.6.0-dev and 4.6.0-stable, tag is additional to the version number and neither saved not checked.

[bruvzg]

(The editor and template I used is available here : https://github.com/godotengine/godot/actions/runs/17751041443)

CI artifacts in general are not intended for any use and only exist to test compilation errors and run unit tests.

[akien-mga]

Why does this error happen though? It should be possible to export and run a PCK with a dev build or PR artifact.

[bruvzg]

It is reproducible with this CI artifacts, but not with dev3 and custom builds editor and template. So artifact export template is broken. No idea why.

[bruvzg]

Artifact template works if PCK version is set to 4.5.x, might be something broken with CI cache it reused files from 4.5.1 build.