Elixir in the World of Realtime Gaming

In online gaming, everything needs to happen now. Players expect real-time responses, always-on servers, and smooth experiences even during peak load. Whether you’re running a fast-paced shooter, a mobile MMO, or a live betting platform, the backend has to keep up.

That’s where Elixir, a programming language built on the Erlang VM (BEAM), really stands out. It was made for high-concurrency, low-latency, always-available systems - just like the ones modern games need.

Let’s take a look at how real companies are using Elixir and BEAM in production, and why more gaming teams are paying attention.

Real Games, Real Systems – How Others Are Using It

Companies like Riot Games, Evolution Gaming, and Wooga use Elixir to power real-time features at massive scale. Studios such as Demonware and Square Enix have adopted it for backend services where uptime and performance are critical. Even newer players like Dazzle Rocks, Merigo, and GenGAME Entertainment have embraced Elixir software development for its ability to handle scale without sacrificing developer speed.

Riot needed a backend for real-time chat across League of Legends. They went with Erlang (the same VM Elixir runs on), and built a messaging system capable of handling 10 million concurrent WebSocket connections per node. That’s billions of messages daily. They chose BEAM for its ability to stay responsive under extreme loads, with fault tolerance and smooth scaling across data centers.

Demonware, the team behind Call of Duty’s online infrastructure, also uses Erlang and Elixir web development. Their backend supports millions of simultaneous players, helping coordinate matchmaking, sessions, and events in one of the world’s most popular FPS franchises.

Not just for big studios - an indie developer built a working MMO prototype with Elixir. They used it to run the game server, player logic, and AI. It’s a clear example of how Elixir’s concurrency model scales, even for small teams.

What Makes Elixir a Good Fit for Games?

Handle Thousands (or Millions) of Players

With BEAM, Elixir supports millions of lightweight processes. Each player, lobby, or AI agent can run as a separate process - cheap and isolated. As we discussed in our recent blog post, no complex thread management or external queue systems required.

Update Your Game Without Downtime

Elixir supports hot code upgrades. That means you can patch live systems without kicking players or restarting services. Handy for live ops or casino-style platforms.

Built to Survive Crashes

Something crashes? No problem. Elixir’s supervision system automatically restarts the broken part, without affecting the rest of the game. One bad match doesn’t crash the server.

Made for Distributed, Real-Time Systems

Want your backend to span data centers or regions? Elixir’s message-passing and clustering makes that easier. Matchmaking, chat, leaderboards - it all stays in sync with low latency.

Common Hurdles for Game Teams Where Elixir Helps

Even with its strengths, Elixir (like any tool) requires proper use. Some of the challenges game teams face:

Scaling clusters across multiple servers and regions
Tuning GenServers to avoid memory issues or latency spikes
Integrating native code (NIFs) for things like physics or cheat detection
Setting up CI/CD pipelines for safe, automatic deployments
Monitoring and debugging using tools like :observer, telemetry, or PromEx

These can usually be solved with a bit of Elixir agency expertise - especially for teams new to BEAM.

If you’re building a real-time multiplayer game, an MMO with a persistent world, a live betting or casino-style platform, or a social layer with chat, presence, and scalable lobbies - Elixir may be exactly what you need. It offers a fast development experience, rock-solid reliability in production, and has proven itself in both indie titles and large-scale games.

Its strength lies in handling massive concurrency with ease, letting developers focus on gameplay and features instead of fighting scalability issues.

Takeaways

Whether you’re a startup founder building your first online game, a CTO modernizing an aging backend, or an engineer designing real-time infrastructure - Elixir deserves a spot on your radar. The best part? It’s already powering some of the most demanding systems in the industry.

If you’re curious about how to start with Elixir or apply it to your current architecture, our Elixir dedicated team is here to help. By choosing Elixir, you’re picking a modern technology that adapts as your needs grow, ensuring lasting success and flexibility in a fast-changing digital world.