openmw-web
Play Morrowind in your browser. The OpenMW engine, compiled to WebAssembly, by Virtastic.
openmw-web is a WebAssembly build of OpenMW, the open-source
reimplementation of The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. The whole engine runs client-side in
a desktop browser - no plugins, no streaming service, and no game data included: you bring
your own legally-owned copy.
New in 1.2.0: the admin dashboard. Run your own server entirely from a browser - a setup
wizard, a mod manager with drag-to-order, Tamriel Rebuilt support, savegame export, backups,
logs and accounts. Multiplayer (added in 1.1.0) is there too, behind an experimental flag.
Quick start: your own server
You need Docker and your own copy of
Morrowind. Then run the commands below. If you'd rather use your own proxy, a panel like
Pterodactyl, or skip the script, see INSTALLING.md for every option.
git clone https://github.com/Virtastic/openmw-web.git
cd openmw-web
./setup.sh # Windows: .\setup.ps1
Nothing compiles: the script checks out the newest release and pulls its prebuilt server
image, ghcr.io/virtastic/openmw-web-server:<tag> (multiplayer-capable, published by every
release). ./setup.sh --update or the dashboard's Update button pulls the next one; to roll
back, set OPENMW_WEB_TAG in .env to the previous tag and docker compose pull && docker compose up -d.
No clone, no script? Save docker-compose.yml in an empty folder,
run docker compose up -d there, and open http://localhost/admin. Same server; only the
dashboard's Update button for the server itself needs the clone and script.
- The script also installs the player app: it is too big for git, so it downloads the same
release's
openmw-web-*.zip, checks it against the release's SHA256SUMS, and unpacks it
into play/. Without the script, the wizard's Player app step does the same.
- Your browser opens http://localhost/admin. Create your admin account, answer the
wizard.
- Drag your Morrowind
Data Files folder in when it asks. Play at http://localhost.
That's it. SELF_HOSTING.md covers everything else - the dashboard page
by page, mods, Tamriel Rebuilt, multiplayer, domains and HTTPS. Stuck? Ask in
Discord.
Playing
On your own server, open http://localhost in desktop Chrome - or just play the hosted
site at morrowind.virtastic.app. The launcher offers:
- The example world - a small free demo, no Morrowind required.
- Bring your own Morrowind - point the browser at your
Data Files folder; files stream
from disk on demand, nothing is uploaded.
- This server's copy - when the host has game data staged, play it with nothing to pick.
- Your own Morrowind, from anywhere - sign in and upload once; it follows your account
to any machine, saves included.
Settings and keybindings persist in the browser. Saves go with how you play: to real files
inside your picked folder ("bring your own"), to the server when signed in, or to browser
storage for the offline demo. In-game, Options → Video has a resolution-scale setting -
drop it a notch on lighter hardware.
Troubleshooting
- "Can't open this folder because it contains system files." Chromium refuses folders
under
Program Files, where Steam's default library lives. Copy Data Files to your
Desktop or Documents and pick it there. GOG installs are unaffected.
- "Doesn't look like a Data Files folder." Pick the folder actually containing
Morrowind.esm and Morrowind.bsa (or its parent Morrowind folder).
- No sound, music, or intro video. Your copy is missing the loose
Sound/Music/Video
folders that live beside the archives. A normal Steam or GOG install has them.
More help: Discord.
Multiplayer
Experimental. Playable, but young - expect rough edges.
Two ways to play, switched from inside the game: Solo (your own world, yours alone)
and Party (your world, open to your friends — up to 32 of them). There is no public
world and no separate party concept: you are always the host of your own world, and joining
a friend means joining their world through your friends list. Visiting advances their
campaign; you keep the skills you used and what you carry out.
The server owns the world: NPCs, combat resolution and loot are simulated server-side by a
headless copy of the engine, so a modified client cannot author what an NPC did. Friends,
whisper/mute/block, in-game reporting and server-side saves are all there.
On the hosted service, sign-in is SSO only (Google / Discord / Microsoft - no passwords to
leak; accounts are keyed on the provider's stable ID, never your email). A server you run
chooses its own sign-in in the setup
wizard. Running your own is the quick start above, choosing
Multiplayer in the wizard; provider-side steps live in
docs/MULTIPLAYER-SETUP.md.
What's in this repo
A code-only repo - game assets, dependency caches and build outputs are gitignored.
| Path | Purpose |
|---|
openmw/ | OpenMW engine source (upstream plus local WASM changes) |
play/ | Browser front-end: launcher, game page, dev server |
server/ | The server (TypeScript/Node): admin dashboard, worlds, SSO, storage, savegames |
wasm-build/ | Build scripts, patches and tooling for the WASM engine |
deploy/ | Container and reverse-proxy config |
The openmw/ tree tracks upstream at the commit recorded in
.openmw-base-commit.txt; how the desktop engine was made to run
in a browser tab is written up in WASM_ADAPTATIONS.md.
Releases
Every release ships two archives:
openmw-web-<tag>.zip - the prebuilt engine and web front-end. It feeds the Docker
quick start (unzip into play/) and also runs standalone: unzip anywhere and double-click
Start openmw-web for a dashboard-less static server.openmw-web-src-<tag>.tar.gz - the exact source snapshot (GPLv3 Corresponding
Source).
See CHANGELOG.md for what changed.
Building from source
Only needed if you are changing the engine itself - the releases ship it prebuilt. The
toolchain (Emscripten 6.0.1), the dependency stack, the wasm64 story and every hard-won
gotcha live in docs/BUILDING.md. Questions:
Discord.
Browser requirement
Desktop Chrome or Chromium with MEMORY64 (Chrome/Edge 133+): the engine needs
SharedArrayBuffer + threads, WebGL2 via ANGLE, EXT_clip_control, and the File System
Access API. Firefox, Safari and mobile are not supported.
License
openmw-web is licensed under the GNU General Public License, version 3. It is a derivative
work of OpenMW, which is itself GPLv3, so the combined work is GPLv3. The full text is in
LICENSE; bundled dependencies keep their own licenses (see
THIRD-PARTY-LICENSES.md).
Game data and trademarks
The Elder Scrolls and Morrowind are trademarks of ZeniMax Media / Bethesda Softworks.
This project is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or associated with Bethesda or ZeniMax. No
Morrowind game data is included or distributed here; you must own and supply your own
legally-obtained copy. The engine is an independent, clean-room reimplementation (OpenMW)
and ships no Bethesda assets.
Community
Bugs and features go to Issues; pull
requests are welcome, see CONTRIBUTING.md.
Support the project
openmw-web is built and hosted by Virtastic. If you enjoy it, you
can support us on Ko-fi or
Patreon - it pays for the servers and the development time.
Nothing is behind a paywall: every mode is free to everyone, and no tier buys a feature.
Credits
- WASM port, tooling, and hosting: © 2025–2026 Virtastic. See
NOTICE and AUTHORS.md.
- OpenMW: the engine this is built on, by the OpenMW team.
- Demo world: the OpenMW Example Suite (CC-BY / CC-BY-SA) by DestinedToDie and contributors,
plus the OpenMW template data files.
