ZIX launches in Early Access: a skill-first VR roguelike with real movement and 3-player crossplay

A VR roguelike that finally treats movement like a skill

This one caught my attention because ZIX doesn’t treat VR movement as an accessibility checkbox-it makes it the game. Hidden IO’s debut roguelike launches in Early Access today on Meta Quest 3/3S and SteamVR for $19.99, and the pitch is refreshingly specific: grip-powered traversal, timing-forward combat across five weapon archetypes, and runs you can remix midway. That’s a lot of ambition for a first outing, but it lines up with what VR players have been asking for since Stormland and Until You Fall proved that motion and mastery can coexist.

Key takeaways

• $19.99 Early Access on Quest 3/3S and SteamVR with 3-player cross-platform co-op.
• Grip-to-move traversal with jumps, double jumps, slides, and midair recoveries-no floating UI, mostly diegetic interactions.
• Five expressive weapon lines (gun, sword, spike, shield, bow) that reward timing and form; upgrades stack to reshape behavior.
• Each run splices three realms (Grove, Abyss, Gut) and can be remixed mid-run, pushing higher risk and intensity.
• EA roadmap targets encounter pacing, enemy/upgrade depth, run-shaping options, and performance/comfort.

Breaking down the announcement

ZIX drops you into “the Seam,” a quiet threshold before things get loud. From there, you’re not babysitting a floating HUD; you’re reading space with your body. Pull to move, time a second pull for a double jump, slide through hazards, recover midair, keep momentum. If you’ve played Gorilla Tag or swung around Stormland, you know the appeal-arm-driven locomotion sells speed and intent better than thumbstick strafing ever will, provided the comfort settings are on point.

Combat revolves around five clear identities. The gun favors deliberate shots, the sword deflects incoming fire if your timing is tight, the spike is a heavy arcing hitter (think throwable with real weight), the shield buys space when pressure spikes, and the bow rewards calm aim when the arena turns to soup. Upgrades stack as you go, altering how these tools behave and how you solve problems. That reads like roguelike 101, but in VR the difference between “this perk feels cool” and “this perk actually changes my movements” is massive. ZIX is aiming for the latter.

Runs draw from three hostile realms—Grove, Abyss, and Gut—then splice their properties into mixed stages for escalating challenge. The interesting twist is the promise that you can remix a run mid-journey, bending rules with in-run tools and letting the world retaliate. Think mutators and biome mash-ups rather than a straight-line gauntlet, which could keep routes fresh even with a limited number of tilesets at EA launch.

Why this matters now

VR roguelikes have split into two camps: the clean, readable brawlers (Until You Fall) and the shooter-skewed die-and-try-again loops (The Light Brigade, COMPOUND). ZIX is trying to bridge them with traversal that demands rhythm and weapons that pay you back for good form. If Hidden IO nails sword deflection windows and makes the spike feel like a small comet, there’s room here for the kind of “one more run” addiction that VR often loses to fatigue and fiddly UI.

The 3-player crossplay is a sneaky big deal. Co-op in VR keeps populations alive and covers for the inevitable skill gaps; a trio size is small enough to communicate without chaos. Cross-platform between Quest and PCVR also matters—Meta-funded projects sometimes silo features, but at least on paper ZIX is launching parity where it counts: the run structure and core combat.

Skeptic mode: questions that need answers

Grip-powered movement lives or dies on comfort. Double jumps and slides sound rad; they also risk motion sickness if acceleration curves aren’t tuned and if comfort toggles (vignettes, horizon lock, turn options) aren’t robust. Hidden IO says performance and comfort are on the update roadmap—good, but day-one settings will determine who bounces off.

“Expressive timing” is another promise that’s hard to fake in VR. Sword deflection requires precise hit detection and readable telegraphs, especially in co-op where latency can muddy inputs. The bow demands intuitive draw and aim that hold up during frantic movement. If any of those feel mushy, the fantasy collapses quickly.

Content breadth is the other yellow flag. Three realms with permutations can stretch far—Risk of Rain 2 proved modifiers carry weight—but roguelike longevity needs enemy variety, upgrade synergies, and boss encounters that don’t feel like HP audits. The studio calls out encounter pacing and upgrade depth as EA targets, which suggests they know the meta layer matters. I’d love clarity on progression: are there meta unlocks, or is it pure roguelike purity? No wrong answer, just set expectations.

The gamer’s perspective: who should care

If you loved the read-and-react cadence of Until You Fall but wanted more traversal swagger, ZIX is worth the $19.99 punt. Quest players hungry for a skill-forward co-op loop that isn’t just wave defense should keep an eye on this. PCVR folks who miss Stormland’s momentum and Boneworks-style physicality may find a new lab rat here, assuming the spike and shield have enough nuance to reward mastery and not just panic throws.

For newcomers, the diegetic, low-UI approach is a double-edged sword. It’s immersive when done right, but onboarding must be frictionless in VR. Hidden IO’s background (ex-Unity/Ubisoft) and backing from Oculus Publishing and the Canada Media Fund imply the technical chops are there. The question is less “can they build it?” and more “can they tune it fast enough in Early Access?”

Looking ahead

The path to cult-hit status is clear: lock in comfort options, widen enemy and upgrade pools, publish a cadence for new permutations, and lean into co-op synergies (role-like builds with shield spike setups, bow/gun crowd control, sword parry specialists). A weekly mutator slate or challenge ladder would fit this design like a glove and keep squads returning. If Hidden IO preserves the “movement as expression” core while sanding down the rough edges, ZIX can earn a permanent slot in the VR roguelike rotation.

TL;DR

ZIX bets big on the idea that in VR, how you move is the game. Early Access starts strong on paper—grip-powered traversal, timing-first combat, and 3-player crossplay for $19.99. If the comfort, netcode, and upgrade depth hold, this could be the rare VR roguelike that rewards real skill instead of flailing.