Devlog: building our own WebGPU engine for a browser MMORPG

Before the Storm does not run on an off-the-shelf engine. It runs on our own C++ engine, written from the first line in August 2026 to bring a 3D MMORPG to the browser without compromise.

Why build an engine?

A browser MMORPG has unusual requirements: it must start quickly from a web page, stay smooth with many players on screen, and run on very different hardware, from gaming PCs to laptops with integrated graphics. Owning the engine lets us tune every system, from rendering and animation to networking, for exactly that job.

One codebase, three graphics APIs

The engine renders through a render hardware interface with several backends:

• WebGPU – the modern graphics API for the web, used when your browser and GPU support it.
• WebGL2 – the compatibility path for browsers and devices without working WebGPU.
• Metal – for native builds on macOS and iOS.

The C++ code is compiled to WebAssembly for the web, so the same gameplay code runs in the browser and natively.

Picking the right renderer automatically

When you press Play, the page asks the browser for a WebGPU adapter and tries to create a device. If that succeeds on a real GPU within a few seconds, you get the WebGPU build. If WebGPU is missing, is a software fallback, or fails during start-up, the game switches to WebGL2 on its own and remembers that choice for a week so you are not slowed down again. Players can also force a renderer with ?renderer=webgl or ?renderer=webgpu.

Fast loading

Game data is precompressed at deploy time, which cuts the largest package roughly in half, and every release is versioned so your browser never mixes files from two different updates. The site you are reading is plain HTML that loads instantly, and the game itself only downloads once you choose to play.

Built for a crowded battlefield

The multiplayer layer is designed for up to 1,000 concurrent players in one shared world, with reliable WebSocket messages for actions such as chat and combat events and a separate fast channel for movement. The server simulates wildlife and weather so every player sees the same world. Next on the list is fully server-authoritative combat for the Storm Campaign.

Want to see it running? Start the game or read what is coming on the road to Alpha.