diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 957ac02e89..49bb0f9e17 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -12575,7 +12575,8 @@
         },
         "kind-of": {
           "version": "6.0.2",
-          "resolved": ""
+          "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/kind-of/-/kind-of-6.0.2.tgz",
+          "integrity": "sha512-s5kLOcnH0XqDO+FvuaLX8DDjZ18CGFk7VygH40QoKPUQhW4e2rvM0rwUq0t8IQDOwYSeLK01U90OjzBTme2QqA=="
         }
       }
     },
@@ -19274,7 +19275,8 @@
         },
         "ini": {
           "version": "1.3.5",
-          "resolved": "",
+          "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/ini/-/ini-1.3.5.tgz",
+          "integrity": "sha512-RZY5huIKCMRWDUqZlEi72f/lmXKMvuszcMBduliQ3nnWbx9X/ZBQO7DijMEYS9EhHBb2qacRUMtC7svLwe0lcw==",
           "optional": true
         },
         "is-fullwidth-code-point": {
@@ -35575,21 +35577,11 @@
         }
       }
     },
-    "request-promise": {
-      "version": "4.2.5",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/request-promise/-/request-promise-4.2.5.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-ZgnepCykFdmpq86fKGwqntyTiUrHycALuGggpyCZwMvGaZWgxW6yagT0FHkgo5LzYvOaCNvxYwWYIjevSH1EDg==",
-      "requires": {
-        "bluebird": "^3.5.0",
-        "request-promise-core": "1.1.3",
-        "stealthy-require": "^1.1.1",
-        "tough-cookie": "^2.3.3"
-      }
-    },
     "request-promise-core": {
       "version": "1.1.3",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/request-promise-core/-/request-promise-core-1.1.3.tgz",
       "integrity": "sha512-QIs2+ArIGQVp5ZYbWD5ZLCY29D5CfWizP8eWnm8FoGD1TX61veauETVQbrV60662V0oFBkrDOuaBI8XgtuyYAQ==",
+      "dev": true,
       "requires": {
         "lodash": "^4.17.15"
       }
@@ -36951,7 +36943,8 @@
         },
         "kind-of": {
           "version": "6.0.2",
-          "resolved": ""
+          "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/kind-of/-/kind-of-6.0.2.tgz",
+          "integrity": "sha512-s5kLOcnH0XqDO+FvuaLX8DDjZ18CGFk7VygH40QoKPUQhW4e2rvM0rwUq0t8IQDOwYSeLK01U90OjzBTme2QqA=="
         }
       }
     },
@@ -37223,7 +37216,8 @@
     "stealthy-require": {
       "version": "1.1.1",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/stealthy-require/-/stealthy-require-1.1.1.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha1-NbCYdbT/SfJqd35QmzCQoyJr8ks="
+      "integrity": "sha1-NbCYdbT/SfJqd35QmzCQoyJr8ks=",
+      "dev": true
     },
     "store2": {
       "version": "2.11.1",
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index ba8fa0991e..29ef1c35a5 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -216,8 +216,6 @@
     "redux-devtools-dock-monitor": "^1.1.3",
     "redux-devtools-log-monitor": "^1.4.0",
     "redux-thunk": "^2.3.0",
-    "request": "^2.88.2",
-    "request-promise": "^4.2.5",
     "reselect": "^4.0.0",
     "s3-policy-v4": "0.0.3",
     "sass-extract": "^2.1.0",
diff --git a/server/controllers/project.controller.js b/server/controllers/project.controller.js
index 8066604401..5334828256 100644
--- a/server/controllers/project.controller.js
+++ b/server/controllers/project.controller.js
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import format from 'date-fns/format';
 import isUrl from 'is-url';
 import jsdom, { serializeDocument } from 'jsdom';
 import isAfter from 'date-fns/isAfter';
-import request from 'request';
+import axios from 'axios';
 import slugify from 'slugify';
 import Project from '../models/project';
 import User from '../models/user';
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ export function getProjectsForUserId(userId) {
 export function getProjectAsset(req, res) {
   Project.findById(req.params.project_id)
     .populate('user', 'username')
-    .exec((err, project) => { // eslint-disable-line
+    .exec(async (err, project) => { // eslint-disable-line
       if (err) {
         return res
           .status(404)
@@ -145,15 +145,15 @@ export function getProjectAsset(req, res) {
       if (!resolvedFile.url) {
         return res.send(resolvedFile.content);
       }
-      request(
-        { method: 'GET', url: resolvedFile.url, encoding: null },
-        (innerErr, response, body) => {
-          if (innerErr) {
-            return res.status(404).send({ message: 'Asset does not exist' });
-          }
-          return res.send(body);
-        }
-      );
+
+      try {
+        const { data } = await axios.get(resolvedFile.url, {
+          responseType: 'arraybuffer'
+        });
+        res.send(data);
+      } catch (error) {
+        res.status(404).send({ message: 'Asset does not exist' });
+      }
     });
 }
 
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ function bundleExternalLibs(project, zip, callback) {
   let numScriptsResolved = 0;
   let numScriptTags = 0;
 
-  function resolveScriptTagSrc(scriptTag, document) {
+  async function resolveScriptTagSrc(scriptTag, document) {
     const path = scriptTag.src.split('/');
     const filename = path[path.length - 1];
     const { src } = scriptTag;
@@ -212,23 +212,21 @@ function bundleExternalLibs(project, zip, callback) {
       return;
     }
 
-    request(
-      { method: 'GET', url: src, encoding: null },
-      (err, response, body) => {
-        if (err) {
-          console.log(err);
-        } else {
-          zip.append(body, { name: filename });
-          scriptTag.src = filename;
-        }
+    try {
+      const { data } = await axios.get(src, {
+        responseType: 'arraybuffer'
+      });
+      zip.append(data, { name: filename });
+      scriptTag.src = filename;
+    } catch (err) {
+      console.log(err);
+    }
 
-        numScriptsResolved += 1;
-        if (numScriptsResolved === numScriptTags) {
-          indexHtml.content = serializeDocument(document);
-          callback();
-        }
-      }
-    );
+    numScriptsResolved += 1;
+    if (numScriptsResolved === numScriptTags) {
+      indexHtml.content = serializeDocument(document);
+      callback();
+    }
   }
 
   jsdom.env(indexHtml.content, (innerErr, window) => {
@@ -264,7 +262,7 @@ function buildZip(project, req, res) {
   );
   zip.pipe(res);
 
-  function addFileToZip(file, path) {
+  async function addFileToZip(file, path) {
     if (file.fileType === 'folder') {
       const newPath = file.name === 'root' ? path : `${path}${file.name}/`;
       file.children.forEach((fileId) => {
@@ -274,16 +272,18 @@ function buildZip(project, req, res) {
         })();
       });
     } else if (file.url) {
-      request(
-        { method: 'GET', url: file.url, encoding: null },
-        (err, response, body) => {
-          zip.append(body, { name: `${path}${file.name}` });
-          numCompletedFiles += 1;
-          if (numCompletedFiles === numFiles) {
-            zip.finalize();
-          }
-        }
-      );
+      try {
+        const { data } = await axios.get(file.url, {
+          responseType: 'arraybuffer'
+        });
+        zip.append(data, { name: `${path}${file.name}` });
+      } catch (err) {
+        console.log(err);
+      }
+      numCompletedFiles += 1;
+      if (numCompletedFiles === numFiles) {
+        zip.finalize();
+      }
     } else {
       zip.append(file.content, { name: `${path}${file.name}` });
       numCompletedFiles += 1;
diff --git a/server/scripts/examples-gg-latest.js b/server/scripts/examples-gg-latest.js
index 8e8025a6ff..42d2d3f476 100644
--- a/server/scripts/examples-gg-latest.js
+++ b/server/scripts/examples-gg-latest.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import rp from 'request-promise';
+import axios from 'axios';
 import Q from 'q';
 import mongoose from 'mongoose';
 import objectID from 'bson-objectid';
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ const insert = function insert(_mainString, _insString, _pos) {
 /* --- data processing --- */
 // 1. first get the top level directories P and M
 // https://api.github.com/repos/generative-design/Code-Package-p5.js/contents?ref=pre-release
-function getCodePackage() {
+async function getCodePackage() {
   const sketchRootList = [];
   const options = {
     // url: 'https://api.github.com/repos/generative-design/Code-Package-p5.js/contents',
@@ -118,26 +118,23 @@ function getCodePackage() {
       Authorization: `Basic ${Buffer.from(
         `${clientId}:${clientSecret}`
       ).toString('base64')}`
-    },
-    json: true
+    }
   };
 
-  return rp(options)
-    .then((res) => {
-      res.forEach((metadata) => {
-        if (
-          metadata.name.endsWith('P') === true ||
-          metadata.name.endsWith('M') === true
-        ) {
-          sketchRootList.push(metadata);
-        }
-      });
-
-      return sketchRootList;
-    })
-    .catch((err) => {
-      throw err;
+  try {
+    const { data } = await axios.request(options);
+    data.forEach((metadata) => {
+      if (
+        metadata.name.endsWith('P') === true ||
+        metadata.name.endsWith('M') === true
+      ) {
+        sketchRootList.push(metadata);
+      }
     });
+    return sketchRootList;
+  } catch (err) {
+    throw err;
+  }
 }
 
 // 2. get the list of all the top-level sketch directories in P and M
@@ -145,7 +142,7 @@ function getSketchDirectories(sketchRootList) {
   // console.log(sketchRootList);
 
   return Q.all(
-    sketchRootList.map((sketches) => {
+    sketchRootList.map(async (sketches) => {
       // console.log(sketches)
       const options = {
         url: `https://api.github.com/repos/generative-design/Code-Package-p5.js/contents/${sketches.path}${branchRef}`,
@@ -155,19 +152,16 @@ function getSketchDirectories(sketchRootList) {
           Authorization: `Basic ${Buffer.from(
             `${clientId}:${clientSecret}`
           ).toString('base64')}`
-        },
-        json: true
+        }
       };
 
-      return rp(options)
-        .then((res) => {
-          const sketchDirs = flatten(res);
-
-          return sketchDirs;
-        })
-        .catch((err) => {
-          throw err;
-        });
+      try {
+        const { data } = await axios.request(options);
+        const sketchDirs = flatten(data);
+        return sketchDirs;
+      } catch (err) {
+        throw err;
+      }
     })
   ).then((output) => {
     const sketchList = [];
@@ -186,7 +180,7 @@ function getSketchDirectories(sketchRootList) {
 // 3. For each sketch item in the sketchList, append the tree contents to each item
 function appendSketchItemLinks(sketchList) {
   return Q.all(
-    sketchList.map((sketches) => {
+    sketchList.map(async (sketches) => {
       const options = {
         // url: `${sketches.url}?client_id=${clientId}&client_secret=${clientSecret}`,
         url: `https://api.github.com/repos/generative-design/Code-Package-p5.js/contents/${sketches.path}${branchRef}`,
@@ -196,15 +190,16 @@ function appendSketchItemLinks(sketchList) {
           Authorization: `Basic ${Buffer.from(
             `${clientId}:${clientSecret}`
           ).toString('base64')}`
-        },
-        json: true
+        }
       };
 
-      return rp(options).then((res) => {
-        sketches.tree = res;
-
+      try {
+        const { data } = await axios.request(options);
+        sketches.tree = data;
         return sketchList;
-      });
+      } catch (err) {
+        throw err;
+      }
     })
   );
 }
@@ -214,7 +209,7 @@ function getSketchItems(sketchList) {
   // const completeSketchPkg = [];
 
   /* eslint-disable */
-  return Q.all(sketchList[0].map(sketch => Q.all(sketch.tree.map((item) => {
+  return Q.all(sketchList[0].map(async sketch => Q.all(sketch.tree.map((item) => {
     if (item.name === 'data') {
       const options = {
         url: `https://api.github.com/repos/generative-design/Code-Package-p5.js/contents/${item.path}${branchRef}`,
@@ -222,16 +217,16 @@ function getSketchItems(sketchList) {
         headers: {
           ...headers,
           Authorization: `Basic ${Buffer.from(`${clientId}:${clientSecret}`).toString('base64')}`
-        },
-        json: true
+        }
       };
 
-      return rp(options).then((res) => {
-        sketch.data = res;
+      try {
+        const { data } = axios.request(options);
+        sketch.data = data;
         return sketch;
-      }).catch((err) => {
+      } catch (err) {
         throw err;
-      });
+      }
     }
     // pass
   })))).then(() => sketchList[0]);
@@ -399,7 +394,7 @@ function formatAllSketches(sketchList) {
 // get all the sketch data content and download to the newProjects array
 function getAllSketchContent(newProjectList) {
   /* eslint-disable */
-  return Q.all(newProjectList.map(newProject => Q.all(newProject.files.map((sketchFile, i) => {
+  return Q.all(newProjectList.map(newProject => Q.all(newProject.files.map(async (sketchFile, i) => {
     /*
       sketchFile.name.endsWith(".mp4") !== true &&
       sketchFile.name.endsWith(".ogg") !== true &&
@@ -427,12 +422,13 @@ function getAllSketchContent(newProjectList) {
       };
 
       // console.log("CONVERT ME!")
-      return rp(options).then((res) => {
-        newProject.files[i].content = res;
+      try {
+        const { data } = await axios.request(options);
+        newProject.files[i].content = data;
         return newProject;
-      }).catch((err) => {
+      } catch (err) {
         throw err;
-      });
+      }
     }
     if (newProject.files[i].url) {
       return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
diff --git a/server/scripts/examples-ml5.js b/server/scripts/examples-ml5.js
index 6f4249da69..4cd68c5786 100644
--- a/server/scripts/examples-ml5.js
+++ b/server/scripts/examples-ml5.js
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import fs from 'fs';
-import rp from 'request-promise';
+import axios from 'axios';
 import Q from 'q';
 import { ok } from 'assert';
 
@@ -30,8 +30,7 @@ const githubRequestOptions = {
     Authorization: `Basic ${Buffer.from(`${clientId}:${clientSecret}`).toString(
       'base64'
     )}`
-  },
-  json: true
+  }
 };
 
 const editorRequestOptions = {
@@ -42,8 +41,7 @@ const editorRequestOptions = {
     Authorization: `Basic ${Buffer.from(
       `${editorUsername}:${personalAccessToken}`
     ).toString('base64')}`
-  },
-  json: true
+  }
 };
 
 /**
@@ -77,8 +75,12 @@ async function fetchFileContent(item) {
       options.url !== null ||
       options.url !== ''
     ) {
-      file.content = await rp(options);
-
+      try {
+        const { data } = await axios.request(options);
+        file.content = data;
+      } catch (err) {
+        throw err;
+      }
       // NOTE: remove the URL property if there's content
       // Otherwise the p5 editor will try to pull from that url
       if (file.content !== null) delete file.url;
@@ -111,9 +113,9 @@ async function getCategories() {
   try {
     const options = Object.assign({}, githubRequestOptions);
     options.url = `${options.url}/examples/p5js${branchRef}`;
-    const results = await rp(options);
+    const { data } = await axios.request(options);
 
-    return results;
+    return data;
   } catch (err) {
     return err;
   }
@@ -131,11 +133,11 @@ async function getCategoryExamples(sketchRootList) {
     // let options = Object.assign({url: `${requestOptions.url}/${categories.path}${branchRef}`}, requestOptions)
     const options = Object.assign({}, githubRequestOptions);
     options.url = `${options.url}${categories.path}${branchRef}`;
-
-    const sketchDirs = await rp(options);
+    // console.log(options)
 
     try {
-      const result = flatten(sketchDirs);
+      const { data } = await axios.request(options);
+      const result = flatten(data);
 
       return result;
     } catch (err) {
@@ -168,7 +170,12 @@ async function traverseSketchTree(parentObject) {
   const options = Object.assign({}, githubRequestOptions);
   options.url = `${options.url}${parentObject.path}${branchRef}`;
 
-  output.tree = await rp(options);
+  try {
+    const { data } = await axios.request(options);
+    output.tree = data;
+  } catch (err) {
+    throw err;
+  }
 
   output.tree = output.tree.map((file) => traverseSketchTree(file));
 
@@ -280,9 +287,12 @@ async function getProjectsList() {
   const options = Object.assign({}, editorRequestOptions);
   options.url = `${options.url}/sketches`;
 
-  const results = await rp(options);
-
-  return results.sketches;
+  try {
+    const { data } = await axios.request(options);
+    return data.sketches;
+  } catch (err) {
+    throw err;
+  }
 }
 
 /**
@@ -293,24 +303,26 @@ async function deleteProject(project) {
   options.method = 'DELETE';
   options.url = `${options.url}/sketches/${project.id}`;
 
-  const results = await rp(options);
-
-  return results;
+  try {
+    const { data } = await axios.request(options);
+    return data;
+  } catch (err) {
+    throw err;
+  }
 }
 
 /**
  * Create a new project
  */
 async function createProject(project) {
-  try {
-    const options = Object.assign({}, editorRequestOptions);
-    options.method = 'POST';
-    options.url = `${options.url}/sketches`;
-    options.body = project;
-
-    const results = await rp(options);
+  const options = Object.assign({}, editorRequestOptions);
+  options.method = 'POST';
+  options.url = `${options.url}/sketches`;
+  options.data = project;
 
-    return results;
+  try {
+    const { data } = await axios.request(options);
+    return data;
   } catch (err) {
     throw err;
   }
diff --git a/server/scripts/examples.js b/server/scripts/examples.js
index 902ef0ac87..1424b20a6d 100644
--- a/server/scripts/examples.js
+++ b/server/scripts/examples.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import rp from 'request-promise';
+import axios from 'axios';
 import Q from 'q';
 import mongoose from 'mongoose';
 import objectID from 'bson-objectid';
@@ -59,12 +59,11 @@ async function getCategories() {
       Authorization: `Basic ${Buffer.from(
         `${clientId}:${clientSecret}`
       ).toString('base64')}`
-    },
-    json: true
+    }
   };
   try {
-    const res = await rp(options);
-    res.forEach((metadata) => {
+    const { data } = await axios.request(options);
+    data.forEach((metadata) => {
       let category = '';
       for (let j = 1; j < metadata.name.split('_').length; j += 1) {
         category += `${metadata.name.split('_')[j]} `;
@@ -92,9 +91,9 @@ function getSketchesInCategories(categories) {
         json: true
       };
       try {
-        const res = await rp(options);
+        const { data } = await axios.request(options);
         const projectsInOneCategory = [];
-        res.forEach((example) => {
+        data.forEach((example) => {
           let projectName;
           if (example.name === '02_Instance_Container.js') {
             for (let i = 1; i < 5; i += 1) {
@@ -147,7 +146,7 @@ function getSketchContent(projectsInAllCategories) {
             }
           };
           try {
-            const res = await rp(options);
+            const { data } = await axios.request(options);
             const noNumberprojectName = project.projectName.replace(
               /(\d+)/g,
               ''
@@ -155,7 +154,7 @@ function getSketchContent(projectsInAllCategories) {
             if (noNumberprojectName === 'Instance Mode: Instance Container ') {
               for (let i = 0; i < 4; i += 1) {
                 const splitedRes = `${
-                  res.split('*/')[1].split('</html>')[i]
+                  data.split('*/')[1].split('</html>')[i]
                 }</html>\n`;
                 project.sketchContent = splitedRes.replace(
                   'p5.js',
@@ -163,7 +162,7 @@ function getSketchContent(projectsInAllCategories) {
                 );
               }
             } else {
-              project.sketchContent = res;
+              project.sketchContent = data;
             }
             return project;
           } catch (error) {
@@ -217,15 +216,14 @@ async function addAssetsToProject(assets, response, project) {
             Authorization: `Basic ${Buffer.from(
               `${clientId}:${clientSecret}`
             ).toString('base64')}`
-          },
-          json: true
+          }
         };
 
         // a function to await for the response that contains the content of asset file
         const doRequest = async (optionsAsset) => {
           try {
-            const res = await rp(optionsAsset);
-            return res;
+            const { data } = await axios.request(optionsAsset);
+            return data;
           } catch (error) {
             throw error;
           }
@@ -273,12 +271,11 @@ async function createProjectsInP5user(projectsInAllCategories) {
       Authorization: `Basic ${Buffer.from(
         `${clientId}:${clientSecret}`
       ).toString('base64')}`
-    },
-    json: true
+    }
   };
 
   try {
-    const res = await rp(options);
+    const { data } = await axios.request(options);
     const user = await User.findOne({ username: 'p5' }).exec();
     await Q.all(
       projectsInAllCategories.map((projectsInOneCategory) =>
@@ -382,7 +379,7 @@ async function createProjectsInP5user(projectsInAllCategories) {
               [];
 
             try {
-              await addAssetsToProject(assetsInProject, res, newProject);
+              await addAssetsToProject(assetsInProject, data, newProject);
               const savedProject = await newProject.save();
               console.log(
                 `Created a new project in p5 user: ${savedProject.name}`
diff --git a/server/scripts/update-syntax-highlighting.js b/server/scripts/update-syntax-highlighting.js
index 294d17fe51..b20f791e1b 100644
--- a/server/scripts/update-syntax-highlighting.js
+++ b/server/scripts/update-syntax-highlighting.js
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 const fs = require('fs');
 const process = require('process');
-const request = require('request');
+const axios = require('axios');
 
-request('https://p5js.org/reference/data.json', (err, res) => {
-  if (!err) {
-    const result = res.toJSON();
-    const data = JSON.parse(result.body);
+axios
+  .get('https://p5js.org/reference/data.json')
+  .then((response) => {
+    const { data } = response;
 
     const arr = data.classitems;
     const p5VariableKeywords = {};
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ request('https://p5js.org/reference/data.json', (err, res) => {
         }
       }
     );
-  } else {
-    console.log("Error!! Couldn't fetch the data.json file");
-  }
-});
+  })
+  .catch((err) => {
+    throw err;
+  });