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DarkRift 2
What it is
DarkRift 2 is a free, open-source networking library for multiplayer experiences that require an authoritative server. It uses a client-server model and supports Unity and .NET, with servers that can run embedded in Unity or as standalone processes. Communication supports TCP and UDP through bi-channel networking; the project says UDP overhead can be as low as 3 bytes. DarkRift 2 describes server clustering and no concurrent-user limits. Built-in Prometheus metrics can connect with monitoring tools such as Grafana or Datadog, while custom metrics are also supported. Other listed capabilities include basic matchmaking and a chat filter. Developers can replace the Bichannel Network Listener with another low-level networking library. Support is community driven through Discord, and the README says Unordinal no longer maintains the project. Building requires Visual Studio 2022 or newer. Most source files use MPL 2.0, while Unity scripts use MIT. Release 2.11.0 is marked pre-release.
For and against
For
- Free and open source
- TCP and UDP bi-channel transport
- Unity embedded and standalone servers
- Prometheus and custom metrics
- No concurrent-user limits listed
Against
- 2.11.0 is marked pre-release
- Support is community driven
- Requires Visual Studio 2022 or newer to build
- Maintenance shifted to the community
The verdict
DarkRift 2 provides transport, server, matchmaking, metrics, and clustering capabilities for authoritative multiplayer projects. Its pre-release status, newer build requirement, and community maintenance are important considerations.
Who it suits
DarkRift 2 suits developers building authoritative multiplayer servers with Unity or .NET. It is intended for teams comfortable with community-supported, self-hosted software.
Plans and prices
DarkRift 2
Free and open source · no CCU limits
Read 8 Oct 2026 · github.com
On the record
- Build requirement
- The project requires Visual Studio 2022 or newer to build because at least one Visual C# project fails in Visual Studio 2019 and earlier.github.com · read 8 Oct 2026
- Extensibility
- Developers can replace the Bichannel Network Listener with another low-level networking library.github.com · read 8 Oct 2026
- License
- Most source files use MPL 2.0, while Unity scripts use MIT.github.com · read 8 Oct 2026
- Maintenance
- The README says Unordinal is no longer able to maintain the project and the community now cares for it.github.com · read 8 Oct 2026
- Metrics
- Built-in Prometheus metrics can integrate with monitoring solutions such as Grafana or Datadog.github.com · read 8 Oct 2026
- Other features
- The project lists basic matchmaking support, custom metrics, and a chat filter.github.com · read 8 Oct 2026
- Performance
- The project says UDP overhead can be as low as 3 bytes.github.com · read 8 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- DarkRift is a multithreaded networking library for multiplayer experiences that need an authoritative server.github.com · read 8 Oct 2026
- Release status
- The 2.11.0 release is marked pre-release, with the note that problems remain to be ironed out.github.com · read 8 Oct 2026
- Scalability
- The project describes server clustering and says it has no concurrent-user limits.github.com · read 8 Oct 2026
- Server modes
- It supports Unity embedded servers and standalone servers.github.com · read 8 Oct 2026
- Support
- The project says support is entirely community driven and directs users to its community Discord.github.com · read 8 Oct 2026
- Transport
- DarkRift 2 supports TCP and UDP with bi-channel communication.github.com · read 8 Oct 2026
