diff --git a/packages/api/.env.development b/packages/api/.env.development
deleted file mode 100644
index 95d58c9..0000000
--- a/packages/api/.env.development
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-MONGO_CONNECTION_STRING=mongodb+srv://default:M9iZXokJlZpN4KLX@cluster0.mkuqa.mongodb.net/default?retryWrites=true&w=majority
-
-JWT_TOKEN_SECRET=afajdslfwk1@lkkasdfl21ASDF!2
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packages/api/index.ts b/packages/api/index.ts
index e42bb34..22e6615 100644
--- a/packages/api/index.ts
+++ b/packages/api/index.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import * as Tracing from '@sentry/tracing';
 /* eslint-disable @typescript-eslint/no-var-requires */
 import express, { Application, NextFunction, Request, Response } from 'express';
 
+import InitializeWs from './src/socket';
 import cors from 'cors';
 import morgan from 'morgan';
 
@@ -31,9 +32,11 @@ const server = app.listen(PORT, () =>
 // won't catch any errors here and we don't want it to
 console.log();
 
-require('socket.io')(server, {
+const io = require('socket.io')(server, {
   // todo: add authentication
   cors: {
     origin: '*',
   },
 });
+
+InitializeWs(io);
diff --git a/packages/api/src/socket.ts b/packages/api/src/socket.ts
index e69de29..a5d8f49 100644
--- a/packages/api/src/socket.ts
+++ b/packages/api/src/socket.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+export default function InitializeWs(io: any) {
+  console.log('initializing web sockets');
+
+  return io
+    .use(function (socket: any, next: any) {
+      console.log('authenticating user...');
+
+      try {
+        // const { token } = socket.handshake.query;
+        // console.log(token);
+
+        // verify jwt token with our api secret
+        // var decoded: JwtClaims = jwt.verify(token, config.JWT_TOKEN_SECRET);
+
+        // socket.userInfo = decoded;
+
+        next();
+      } catch (error) {
+        console.error(error);
+        next(new Error('WS Authentication Error'));
+      }
+    })
+    .on('connection', (socket: any) => {
+      console.log(`connected`, socket.id);
+    });
+}