We are thrilled to announce the Niantic Studio Real-World Gaming Challenge winners! Over the past two months, developers were tasked with creating real-world WebXR experiences using Gaussian splats and Niantic VPS (Visual Positioning System) for Web technology in Niantic Studio. With a $15,000 prize pool at stake, the challenge sparked incredible creativity, innovation, and technical excellence.

From multiplayer WebAR racing games to cultural explorations and mindfulness experiences, developers showcased the limitless possibilities of real-world WebAR. Let’s dive into the standout projects that captured the judges' attention and redefined immersive gaming.

Developer Alexandre Di Guida has crafted an exciting AR experience with his latest project, Frozen Coin Hunt Adventure. This project immerses players in a frosty adventure alongside Captain Doty, showcasing Niantic Studio’s powerful capabilities to create engaging, real-world games. Alexandre’s work exemplifies how Niantic Studio can transform creative ideas into dynamic, immersive experiences that captivate and challenge players. We had the opportunity to dive into Alexandre’s process and learn about the journey of developing Frozen Coin Hunt Adventure.

With the holiday season around the corner, it’s the perfect time to combine creativity and technology to spread some festive cheer! In a recent workshop led by George Butler, developers explored how to create real-world WebAR experiences using Niantic Visual Positioning System (VPS) in Niantic Studio. In this tutorial, we’re giving George’s original project a holiday twist. Instead of airplanes and coins, we’ll be building a delightful Santa sleigh game where Santa collects gifts while flying around a real-world location.

This step-by-step guide will walk you through the essentials of creating a VPS-enabled AR experience, complete with Santa’s sleigh, collectible gifts, and location-based interaction. By the end, you’ll have a festive game that captures the magic of the holidays. Let’s get started!

With the recent release of Niantic VPS for Niantic Studio, developers now have powerful new tools to bring the physical world into immersive WebAR experiences. Niantic VPS is a groundbreaking AR technology that lets you localize users and anchor digital content in the real world with centimeter-level precision. Whether you're designing a virtual art installation or creating interactive gameplay in urban environments, VPS guarantees that your digital creations feel firmly rooted in the real world. 

To support this innovation, we’re sharing top tips for using Niantic Scaniverse to capture real-world locations effectively.

Niantic Scaniverse enables developers to capture detailed, immersive 3D scans that bring real-world elements directly into WebAR experiences. Here are some tried-and-true best practices to help you achieve optimal results when scanning real-world objects and environments using Scaniverse.

Camilo Medina is a skilled developer who began his journey with Niantic 8th Wall in July 2023 at the Niantic Developer World Tour in Paris. Immediately captivated by 8th Wall’s cross-platform capabilities, Camilo found the platform’s tools perfect for creating and deploying immersive AR experiences. With expertise in game design, coding, and marketing, Camilo brings a dynamic skill set to his projects. His passion for coding—particularly in developing mechanics that make digital objects interactive in real-world settings—is evident in his innovative AR work. We spoke with Camilo about his journey with Niantic Studio, recent projects, and his vision for the future of AR.

We’re excited to announce the launch of two powerful new features—backend proxies and backend functions—as the first of our Backend Services in Niantic Studio. These tools bring new capabilities to Niantic Studio, equipping developers to handle backend logic and integrate external services directly into their WebAR and web games. Integrating Backend Services is  a key milestone in expanding the flexibility and power of Niantic Studio, opening the door to more complex, secure, and dynamic AR applications.

Backend functions: Enabling secure and sophisticated web game logic 
Backend functions allow you to write server-side logic that integrates seamlessly with client-side code. This unlocks new possibilities for adding advanced, secure game mechanics to WebXR applications, such as anti-cheat to ensure fair play. 

In our Hangman-inspired sample project, backend functions store the words and the game logic on the backend, while the client handles and tracks player stats like current progress on the word and letters already guessed. With each request to the server, these states are securely stored and updated in real time, demonstrating how backend functions can manage core game components and maintain data integrity between the client and the server. This server-side processing means anti-cheat systems can be implemented, preventing players from tampering with the game data stored locally in their browser. 

We’re excited to announce the Niantic Studio Real-World Gaming Challenge, a brand-new opportunity for developers to create immersive, real-world games using Niantic Studio’s cutting-edge tools. Running from October 24th to December 9th, this challenge invites developers to push the boundaries of location-based gaming with the help of Gaussian splats and Niantic VPS technology. With a $15,000 prize pool up for grabs, this challenge is the perfect stage for you to showcase your creativity and technical expertise.

This challenge will ask you to build with either Gaussian splats or Niantic VPS in Niantic Studio. Niantic VPS allows you to anchor AR content with centimeter-level precision across 600,000+ VPS-activated locations worldwide. With Niantic Scaniverse, you can also scan and activate custom locations, bringing your AR creations to life in real-world environments.

With VPS and Studio’s web gaming engine, you can now take your AR experiences further by:

• Adding dynamic elements like animation, lighting, and physics 
• Creating persistent experiences that evolve as users return to the same location 
• Build real-time interactive gameplay that responds to a user’s environment 

We're excited to announce that Niantic VPS for Web is now fully integrated into Niantic Studio, giving developers a powerful new way to build, test, and deploy location-based WebAR experiences with unmatched precision. This update combines the power of the Niantic Visual Positioning System (VPS) with Niantic Studio’s intuitive visual interface, making creating WebAR content that seamlessly interacts with the digital world easier than ever. 

We are thrilled to present the Niantic Studio Create & Play Developer Challenge winners—a celebration of innovation, creativity, and community engagement. Over the past few months, developers across the globe have shown their incredible talent and passion for building immersive and fun web gaming experiences using Niantic Studio. With a wide range of submissions, from face-tracking rhythm games to location-based XR experiences to splatified adventures, participants pushed the boundaries of what's with Niantic Studio’s WebXR and 3D Web tools.

The Create & Play Challenge was designed to empower developers to express their creativity and bring unique gaming experiences to life, leveraging the diverse capabilities of Niantic Studio. Participants were equipped with a wealth of resources through our challenge programming sessions. We hosted workshops and deep dives, providing hands-on support to help developers bring their projects to life. 

Let’s take a closer look at the standout projects that have captured the judges' attention and showcased the limitless potential of our platform.