PAK File Extension
Have a problem opening a .PAK file? We collect information about file formats and can explain what PAK files are. Additionally we recommend software suitable for opening or converting such files.
What is the .PAK file type?
The .pak extension is a short for 'Package' and denotes the generic Resource Package (PAK) file type. PAK files can come in various, often incompatible formats. A .pak file is typically a large binary file, acting as a container of assets (sounds, images, data objects, etc.) used in a game or application.
The original PAK format was developed by id Software for Quake II and was later used in many games based upon the Quake 3D engine. Those include the Crysis series, Neverwinter, Starbound, Torchlight II, Allods Online, Daikatana, and many others. In addition to the original PAK format, a number of standard archive formats like ZIP, zlib, RAR, etc., as well as a variety of their modified versions and private encrypted formats came into use.
Besides games, PAK resource packages are used by a variety of applications and tools. For instance, the popular bulletin-board framework phpBB uses .pak files as smilies assets packages.
When dealing with a .pak file, it is important to know or determine the file's origin because there is a multitude of PAK viewers, extractors, and editors, covering virtually every internal format behind the common PAK file type—one only has to select the right tools.
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