I'm not sure what you mean by "does not respect freedom" since the source is available on GitHub and reconstructing PS with UE4 won't cost the PS team a dime (at least not to Epic).
There seems to be a misunderstanding here, FREE software does not mean that the source is available, or the program is gratis (free as in beer), but that it is
free as in freedom. Software is free if it has the 4 freedoms:
- You can run it any way you want
- You can study the sourcecode
- You can redistribute it
- You can redistribute modified copies
You can't run UE4 to make (1) for any gambling-related activities or Products (as defined by law in the jurisdiction of use); (2) for operation of nuclear facilities, aircraft navigation, aircraft communication systems or air traffic control machines, or for military use in connection with live combat; (3) in violation of any applicable law or regulation; (4) in which the Licensed Technology is rented or leased; (5) that misappropriates any of Epic’s other products or services; (6) in support of a claim by you or any third party that the Licensed Technology infringes a patent. However unlikeli it is that you want to run you nuclear submarine based casinos whit UE4, not allowing it makes it nonfree (regardles of how sensible these regulations might seem). There are other parts of the EULA that make it nonfree but I have'nt read it trough.
There will still be distributed executable downloads for all platforms and that's all that's needed...
People who are concious of their usage of nonfree software would (imo) never ever favour a binary to something with nonfree but available source.
For someone to repackage UE4 under another name and sell it with no compensation due back to Epic would be financially devastating to Epic and all the people who depend on those jobs to feed, house, and clothe their families. Absent legal protections, the source would never come out, and absent the investment, Indie engines like UE4 don't exist.
When a program is free it does not mean that it has no legal protection, ther exist many free licences such as the GPL's wich grant different kinds of protections for the developer. Wheter it is possible to make money working on free software have been discussed countless times, free software is not just for bearded hippies and there are people feeding families by working on free software.
I'm not happy that PS is moving to a propriatery engine, but having never touched crystal space or the PS codebase, I think it is a choice the developers have to make, whatever they cohoose I hope it makes their job easier, more enjoyable, and in the end makes PS better.