About

The founder

John Vannatter

When the servers went dark, I couldn’t let Verra go with them. I backed this world, I believed in it, and I knew it deserved better than a shutdown notice. So I set out to preserve it — and to finish the game the way it was always meant to be played. For the community, not for profit.

I’ve spent 35 years in information technology, most of it as a network and systems analyst. That’s not a footnote — it’s why EmberForge is built the way it is. Shortcuts are how games end up full of dupes and exploits. So EmberForge runs on a true server-authoritative engine, where the server owns every item and every coin, and its anti-cheat lives on the server where it belongs.

I live in Yellowknife, in the heart of aurora country. On clear winter nights the northern lights pour across the sky over the lake — which is exactly why our anti-cheat is called Aurora Borealis. She keeps watch over Verra the way those lights keep watch over home.

When I’m not in the code, I’m outside: on the land, with my dogs, with my family. EmberForge is built with the same care I give the things that matter to me. It’s a labour of love — and it’s yours as much as mine.

See you in Verra.