Open q1.pieter.com and join a QuakeWorld game with no install. It runs FTE QuakeWorld with client-side prediction, takes up to 8 players per game and keeps a top-players board. The page does not say what game data it loads.
The original game
QuakeWorld was a rewrite of Quake's network code that added client-side prediction: you see your own movement at once instead of waiting for the server. That made play over dial-up connections far smoother, at the cost of occasional "warping" when a late server reply pulled you back. IGN called it the first popular first-person shooter meant to be played online, and it soon became the dominant way to play Quake.
Quake's source code was released on December 22, 1999, and the engine code is GPL-licensed. Quake's maps, textures and sounds stay under their original licence. QuakeWorld on Wikipedia Quake on Wikipedia
The browser version
The page at q1.pieter.com is titled "Real QuakeWorld in your browser" and describes itself as "a non-commercial unofficial preservation project by pieter.com". It runs FTE QuakeWorld, the project at fteqw.org, with low-latency play and client-side prediction.
Games take up to 8 players. There is a "Top Players" leaderboard with 24-hour, 7-day and all-time views, and an option to enable notifications. The page does not say what game data or assets it loads, and it shows no launch date.
The page credits "pieter.com", not a named person. pieter.com is the personal site of Pieter Levels, whose name is in its footer. The same site also hosts a Quake 3 server at q3.pieter.com and links a DOS Quake 1 page at pieter.com/win31.
| Method | FTE QuakeWorld client running in the browser |
|---|---|
| Players | Up to 8 per game |
| Networking | Client-side prediction, low latency |
| Game data | Not stated on the page |
| Extras | Top Players leaderboard (24h, 7d, all time), optional notifications |
How to play it
- Open q1.pieter.com in a desktop browser.
- Join a game from the page.
- Check the Top Players board to see who is active.
Links
Source code
Questions
Can you play QuakeWorld in a browser?
Yes. q1.pieter.com runs FTE QuakeWorld in a browser tab.
Is it recompiled or decompiled?
The engine side is open source: id released the Quake engine under the GPL and FTE QuakeWorld is a maintained engine, so nobody had to decompile it. People still search "QuakeWorld recompiled" for browser versions like this.
Who made it?
The page credits "pieter.com". pieter.com is Pieter Levels' personal site, but the Quake page itself does not name a person.
How many players?
Up to 8 per game, according to the page.
What is QuakeWorld?
An update to Quake from December 1996 with new network code and client-side prediction, built for play over the internet.
Sources and coverage
Details checked 2026-10-08. Fan projects change fast; check the project page for the latest.