The people in charge of BitCraft Online announced in 2025 that they wanted to take a special path for the MMORPG genre. Phase 1 is set to start soon.
What is BitCraft Online planning? The developers from Clockwork Laboratories revealed in May 2025 that they want to implement something that will never exist for WoW, Final Fantasy XIV, and others: The code of BitCraft Online will be made available as “Open Source”.
In this way, the people in charge want to make the MMORPG genre more accessible and show interested parties how to develop new MMOs using the SpacetimeDB platform. They also hope that this measure will have a positive impact on BitCraft itself. This way, the community can enhance the gaming experience over time with mods or fresh features, for example.
The developers are aware that there are many good reasons why not a single commercial MMORPG has been published under an open-source license so far. The risk that others will use the code or assets for their own commercial purposes is, for example, quite high.
Phase 1 starts already next week
When will Open Source come? On the official website bitcraftonline.com, the developers revealed that the first phase of the open-source project is set to start on January 21, 2026. From then on, the freely accessible version will be available via github.com.
This will initially include the entire server module sub-repository of BitCraft. This repository practically represents the entire core logic of the game. In about 6 months, Phase 2 will add some server services that control AI behavior or generate the map.
However, it may still take some time before the client expands the open-source offering. According to the developers, this contains assets from early prototype phases for which they do not have open-source rights. These must first be completely removed, which requires care and time.
In principle, it is still not entirely clear under what license the code will ultimately be published: Depending on the license, the code may then be distributed and processed or only integrated into projects to a limited extent.
So what can I actually do with Phase 1? According to the developers, the server module sub-repository offers you the following possibilities:
- You can view the code to understand how BitCraft works at this level. The insights can be used, for example, to implement your own projects.
- You can modify the code locally and experiment with it.
- You can create and test your own versions of server modules.
What is not allowed: The developers emphasize that the open-source version is not intended to use the graphics, game content, music, or other legally protected assets (including the brand name) of BitCraft to implement your own projects with this code.
Similarly, it will also not be permitted to share security vulnerabilities discovered in the code with others or to operate private or unofficial BitCraft servers.
What do I need to know about BitCraft Online? The survival MMORPG from Clockwork Laboratories adopts a Zelda-like graphic style and aims to throw all players into a single world where they cooperate to build settlements, establish an economy, and compete for territories.
Here you can choose to work as a craftsman, trader, monster hunter, politician, or anything in between. The surface of the world is changeable. And the survival struggle in the world also plays a role. For several months now, there have even been dungeons where bosses and loot await you: The MMORPG on Steam, reminiscent of Zelda, is getting its first dungeon: “It was about time”
