VR Gaming News Roundup: 32-Player Battles, Wingsuit Racing Returns, and Thief Gets the VR Treatment

It's been an absolutely packed week in VR gaming, and if you've been too busy actually playing to keep up with the news, we've got you covered! From massive multiplayer shooters launching in early access to beloved franchises making their VR debut, there's something here for every type of VR gamer. Let's dive into the biggest announcements and releases that should be on your radar right now.

Forefront Brings 32-Player Chaos to VR FPS Fans

If you've been craving large-scale VR combat, your prayers have been answered. Forefront, the latest project from the studio behind Breachers, just launched in early access and it's bringing something we don't see nearly enough in VR: genuine 32-player battles. That's right—32 actual players running around, shooting, and causing mayhem in virtual reality.

The game is available right now across Quest, Steam VR, and Pico, which means cross-platform play should keep those lobbies nice and full. Early access means the developers are actively working on the game and listening to player feedback, so if you've ever wanted to help shape a VR shooter from the ground up, now's your chance. Given that the Breachers team has proven they know how to make solid VR gunplay, expectations are pretty high for this one.

What makes this particularly exciting is how rare large-scale VR shooters are. Most VR FPS games cap out at much smaller player counts, so having 32 people in a match could create some genuinely epic firefights. If you're tired of the same old VR shooter lobbies, this might be exactly what you need to scratch that competitive itch.

RUSH: Apex Edition Brings Wingsuit Racing Back to VR

Remember RUSH? The absolutely exhilarating wingsuit racing game from 2017? Well, it's back and better than ever with RUSH: Apex Edition, specifically remastered for PlayStation VR2. If you never played the original, imagine strapping on a wingsuit and hurling yourself down mountains, through canyons, and past obstacles at breakneck speeds—all in VR.

According to hands-on impressions, this remaster is doing justice to what was already a solid VR experience. The game takes full advantage of PSVR2's capabilities, which likely means better visuals, improved tracking, and possibly even haptic feedback through the Sense controllers. For a game that's all about speed and the sensation of flight, those improvements could make a huge difference.

Wingsuit games in VR hit differently than almost any other genre. There's something about the combination of speed, height, and the physical sensation of leaning your body to steer that creates an incredible rush (pun intended). If you're a PSVR2 owner looking for your next adrenaline fix, or if you missed RUSH the first time around, this Apex Edition seems like it's worth checking out.

UnLoop: Time-Bending Puzzles Coming to PC VR

Puzzle game fans have something cool to look forward to next week with UnLoop hitting PC VR in early access. This isn't your standard block-pushing puzzle game—UnLoop is all about time manipulation and, here's the kicker, cooperating with past versions of yourself to solve challenges.

The game has a retro-futuristic aesthetic that looks absolutely gorgeous, and the core mechanic of recording your actions and then working alongside those recordings opens up some really mind-bending puzzle possibilities. Imagine needing to be in two places at once, so you record yourself pressing a button, then rewind and work with that recording to accomplish something else simultaneously. It's the kind of concept that could only really work in VR.

Early access means the developers will be adding more content and refining the experience based on player feedback. If you're the type who loves games that make you think differently about space and time (and let's be honest, VR is perfect for that), UnLoop should definitely be on your wishlist. It launches on Steam next week, so you won't have to wait long.

Homeworld: Vast Reaches Brings Space Strategy to Steam VR

Strategy game fans, your time has come. Homeworld: Vast Reaches, the VR spin-off of the beloved space RTS series, just landed on Steam VR with visual enhancements and new Challenge Levels. If you've been playing it on Quest and wishing for better graphics and more content, this PC VR version is exactly what you've been waiting for.

For the uninitiated, Homeworld is all about commanding fleets of spacecraft in beautiful, tactical 3D battles. The VR version puts you right in the captain's chair, letting you manipulate your fleet with your hands, zoom in and out of the battlefield, and experience space combat from a perspective that flat-screen games just can't match. There's something incredibly satisfying about reaching out and moving squadrons of fighters around like you're playing with the most expensive chess set in the universe.

The visual enhancements for the Steam VR version should make the already stunning space environments even more impressive, and new Challenge Levels mean more content to sink your teeth into. If you've never tried an RTS in VR, this is a great place to start—the genre translates surprisingly well to the medium.

Elements Divided Exits Early Access with New Powers

Avatar: The Last Airbender fans, this one's for you. Elements Divided, the multiplayer brawler where you control elemental powers, just left early access on Quest with a full release that adds new sub-elements to the mix. If you've been waiting for the game to be "complete" before jumping in, now's the perfect time.

The game lets you bend fire, water, earth, and air in PvP battles, and the addition of sub-elements means even more variety in how you can fight. Think lightning, ice, metal—all the cool stuff from the Avatar universe. The physicality of actually performing bending motions with your hands makes this feel way more immersive than any flat-screen Avatar game could ever be.

With the full release, the developers have clearly been listening to feedback and polishing the experience. If you're looking for a competitive multiplayer game that's different from the usual VR shooters, and you want to feel like an actual elemental bender, Elements Divided is worth checking out. Plus, the Quest player base should be healthy now that it's officially launched.

Little Critters Brings Mixed Reality Tower Defense to Your Living Room

From the creators of Little Cities comes something completely different: Little Critters, a lighthearted mixed reality tower defense game that just launched on Quest 3. This one's all about defending your actual home from adorable invading creatures using the magic of mixed reality.

What makes this special is how it uses your real environment. The critters will crawl on your actual walls, furniture, and floors, and you'll need to set up defenses in your physical space. It's the kind of game that really shows off what mixed reality can do—blending the virtual and real in ways that feel genuinely magical. Plus, the "lighthearted" approach means this is probably great for showing VR to friends and family who might be intimidated by more intense experiences.

Purple Yonder proved with Little Cities that they know how to make charming, accessible VR games, and Little Critters looks like it's following that same philosophy. If you've got a Quest 3 and you've been looking for more reasons to use that mixed reality functionality, this is a perfect excuse.

Bonus: Quest 3S Hits Record Low Price and Meta's $1.5 Million Developer Competition

Before we wrap up, here are two quick bits of news that might interest you. First, if you've been on the fence about getting a Quest 3S, now might be the time to jump in. Meta's official eBay store is selling certified refurbished Quest 3S units for just $216, which is the lowest price we've ever seen. The 512GB Quest 3 is also available refurbished for $360. These are certified refurbished units, which means they've been tested and come with a warranty—not some sketchy third-party refurb.

Second, Meta just announced a $1.5 million developer competition for new Quest apps and significant updates to existing ones. Why should you care as a player? Because this kind of competition usually results in a flood of new, high-quality content as developers compete for those prizes. We're talking 32 prizes of up to $100,000 each, which is serious money that could fund some really ambitious projects. Keep an eye out over the coming months—we're likely to see some cool new games and major updates to existing favorites as a result of this competition.

It's an exciting time to be a VR gamer, with new releases dropping almost daily and major franchises finally taking VR seriously. Whether you're into competitive shooters, stealth games, puzzle adventures, or just want to defend your living room from cute invaders, there's something new to play right now. Don't forget to check out the VR Games Showcase on November 13 for even more announcements—this momentum doesn't seem to be slowing down anytime soon. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got some 32-player battles to jump into.