Removal of the ICD allows the game to use the default OpenGL system library.
#HEXEN/HERETIC SERIES DRIVERS#
Custom OpenGL drivers were also released by PowerVR and Rendition for running Hexen II with their respective (and also now defunct) products. This driver acts as a wrapper for the proprietary Glide API, and thus is only compatible with 3dfx hardware. However, due to the prevalence of 3dfx hardware at the time of release, the Windows version of the game installs an OpenGL ICD (opengl32.dll) designed specifically for 3dfx's hardware. Hexen II, by way of the Quake engine, uses OpenGL for 3D acceleration. Hexen II was based on an enhanced version of the Quake engine. Only a select few ideas of Romero's from Hecatomb would ultimately make their way into what became Hexen II and Heretic II. Activision felt that the previous entries in the series, Heretic and Hexen, were different enough from one another that they should treat them as separate entities going forward, instead of just one final game to complete a trilogy. Activision, the distributor at the time, pressured Raven Software to split development of Hecatomb into two different games, Hexen II and Heretic II.
What was originally supposed to be the final game in a trilogy, the sequel to Hexen was originally titled Hecatomb but was abandoned after John Romero left id Software in 1996.