Lightning Beam

Seamless lightning beam texture: two blue-white bolts re-strike out of step over a soft blue channel, with flicking sparks. The ends meet, so it repeats along a Roblox Beam (Export, Roblox, Beam) or a line renderer, for chain lightning, tesla coils and shock rays.

Lightning Beam is an HD effect that loops seamlessly every 2 seconds, drawn on a 512 by 128 canvas. It is built from 2 particle emitters and 2 lightning bolts. Most layers blend additively, so it glows on dark backgrounds.

Colour

Recolours the preview and the free downloads.

Free download with a transparent background, cropped to the effect, 60 frames at 30 fps. Use it in commercial games, no credit needed.

Licence: use it in any project, including paid commercial games such as a game sold on Steam. There is no per-project licence to buy and no credit needed. Terms.

Roblox: the download is a seamless texture for a Beam. Set TextureMode to Wrap and TextureLength to 4 times the Width; TextureSpeed scrolls it from Attachment0 to Attachment1. Roblox setup.

Engine data for Unity, Godot, GameMaker and Aseprite comes with a plan: open it in the studio.

OPEN IN THE STUDIO

Change the colours, timing or size, or export for Unity, Godot 4, GameMaker, Phaser, PixiJS and Aseprite.

Try variations: new colours, motion and shapes of this effect, free in the studio.

FRAME BY FRAME

8 evenly spaced moments across the 2 s loop.

Lightning Beam at 8 moments, from 0 s to 1.75 s

HOW IT'S MADE

Lightning Beam gets its crackle from 2 lightning bolts (a new jagged path on every strike), backed by 2 particle emitters. One technique stands out: post filters (bloom).

Every layer emits continuously and the 2 s loop closes seamlessly, so it can run for as long as you need. The bolts strike on their own timers, every 0.1 to 0.14 s. To recolour the lightning, select "Main Bolt" and change Core and Glow; Strike every sets how often it fires. The colour swatches by the downloads recolour every layer at once.

Layers, in draw order

Glow Channelparticles / additiveA steady stream of soft glows across a box. Colour: blue.
Main Boltlightning / additiveA lightning bolt striking sideways every 0.14 s. It forks into branches.
Second Boltlightning / additiveA lightning bolt striking sideways every 0.1 s. It forks into branches.
Sparksparticles / additiveA steady stream of soft glows across a box. Colours range between white and blue.

DETAILS

Length: 2 seconds, seamless loop
Canvas: 512 x 128, HD
Layers: 2 emitters and 2 lightning bolts
Blend: Mostly additive (glows)
Colours: whiteblue
Sprites: Built-in shapes only
Tags: lightning, beam, electric, chain lightning, tesla, roblox beam, beam texture, seamless, tileable, loop

USING IT IN YOUR GAME

Phaser, PixiJS: The PNG sheet is a plain grid of frames that both can slice. A TexturePacker JSON atlas comes with a plan, from the studio.
Unity: Import the PNG sheet as a Sprite with Mode set to Multiple and slice it, or open the effect in the studio for a ready-made grid.
Godot 4, GameMaker, Aseprite: Open it in the studio and pick your engine in Export: with a plan, it writes the files that engine imports.
Web and chat: The GIF plays anywhere; the APNG keeps soft edges on any background.
Blend mode: This effect is made of light. For the same glow in your game, draw the sprite with additive blending, or export it on black from the studio for additive shaders.

Step by step: Unity, Godot 4, Roblox, GameMaker, Phaser and PixiJS, Aseprite, Web games (live runtime). Drawn with additive blending: see glow effects without a black box.

How to set these up on a Roblox Beam, with the Luau: Roblox beam textures.

MORE Beam Textures

Bubbling Toxic Swamp Loop

Cherry Blossom Petals

Desert Sandstorm Overlay

Drifting Clouds Loop

Drifting Embers Overlay

All Beam Textures effects or the full library.