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"description": "Nearly a decade of XR engine development at 8th Wall is now open-source and available to everyone. On February 28, the company shut down its hosted platform, retiring the login system, cloud editor, and web-based Studio. The technology now continues as a public project at 8thwall.org.",
"path": "/8th-wall-opens-the-technology-behind-its-webar-platform/",
"publishedAt": "2026-03-12T19:45:12.000Z",
"site": "https://www.remixreality.com",
"tags": [
"_8th Wall / Niantic Spatial_"
],
"textContent": " * The company shut down its hosted WebAR platform on February 28, 2026 and moved the technology to a public project at 8thwall.org.\n * The open release includes the engine framework, AR feature modules, developer tools, and a documented open source governance model.\n\n\n\n* * *\n\nNearly a decade of XR engine development at 8th Wall is now open-source and available to everyone. On February 28, the company shut down its hosted platform, retiring the login system, cloud editor, and web-based Studio. The technology now continues as a public project at 8thwall.org.\n\nThe release includes an open-source version of the engine framework and several AR features, including face effects, image targets, and sky effects. The code is published under an MIT license. A Distributed Engine Binary released in January includes 8th Wall's powerful SLAM and is available under a binary license for commercial and noncommercial use. The SLAM engine itself is not part of the open source framework.\n\nSeveral supporting tools are also available, including starter templates, feature demos, and a command-line tool for creating image targets. A cleaned snapshot of the original monorepo is available for reference. The repository also documents a formal open-source governance model with contribution guidelines and decision-making processes, with additional releases planned over the next month, including documentation on GitHub, a desktop app, ECS runtime components, an MCP server, and more sample projects.\n\n* * *\n\n### 🌀 **Tom’s Take:**\n\nOpen-sourcing the engine could change the trajectory of the browser itself. If developers can evolve the framework as web standards shift, the browser could become a permanent home for immersive experiences rather than just a place to launch them.\n\n* * *\n\n_Source:__8th Wall / Niantic Spatial_\n\n* * *\n\nDisclosure: Tom Emrich has previously worked with or holds interests in companies mentioned. His commentary is based solely on public information and reflects his personal views.",
"title": "8th Wall Opens the Technology Behind Its WebAR Platform",
"updatedAt": "2026-03-12T19:46:18.076Z"
}