Frequently asked questions

Short answers to the most common questions about TheGates.
Follow the links for deeper documentation.

For visitors

Is this a metaverse?

Not exactly.

TheGates treats the internet as a network of 3D worlds you open by URL, closer to the web browser model than to a single centralized platform.

Do I install worlds separately?

No.

Opening a gate works more like opening a website than installing a game. The launcher downloads the gate automatically when you visit its URL.

Where can I find worlds to visit?

The launcher home screen includes featured gates and a search bar.

One of the featured gates is Welcome, a 3D hub world with portals to other gates.

You can also paste a direct gate URL from a friend or website.

Which platforms does TheGates support?

Windows, Linux, and macOS.

Download the launcher from thegates.io.

For creators

What do I need to build a gate?

- Godot 4.5
- Rendering method set to Forward+
- A .gate manifest referencing your exported project

See Quickstart.

How do I publish a gate?

Install the TheGates Export plugin from the Godot Asset Library, click Publish to TheGates, and you get a hosted URL back.

Self-hosting on your own HTTP server is also supported.

See Hosting your projects.

Can I self-host my gate?

Yes.

A gate is just a manifest and exported files served over HTTP. Any normal HTTP server works.

See Hosting your projects.

Can I use GDExtension or native libraries?

Yes.

Add platform-specific libraries in the [libraries] section of your .gate file.

See Gate file.

Does every gate run its own engine version?

Yes.

Each gate declares the Godot version it was built against. The launcher downloads and runs the matching renderer version for that gate.

This allows older gates to keep working even as newer renderer versions ship.

See Architecture overview.

Trust and safety

Is it safe to run third-party worlds?

Every gate runs in its own OS-level sandbox on Windows, Linux, and macOS.

A gate cannot directly access your files, your home network, or other running gates.

Treat gates the same way you treat websites: trusted to the extent you trust the publisher.

See Sandboxing.

Is TheGates open source?

Yes.

The launcher, renderer, backend, and tooling are open source.

Explore the repositories on GitHub.

Need more help?

Join the community or open an issue on GitHub.