You might recall that Kickstarted MMORPG Zenith was already teasing an early 2022 launch when it hit beta back in December. Now we know the date, and it’s not even all that far away: January 27th. It’ll run $29.99 and land on Oculus Quest, Oculus Rift, PlayStation VR, and Steam, according to the press release. The long-promised non-VR version for PC (“If you don’t have VR yet, you’ll be able to play Zenith on your desktop, too!“) is apparently still en route but won’t make this launch, according to repeated statements in the game’s Discord.
“Non-VR support will not be implemented until later, and will have its own Alpha & Beta phases, however – VR will always remain Zenith’s #1 focus.”
Don’t be expecting a humble approach; studio Ramen VR declares it’s “poised to release the largest online gaming world to ever hit virtual reality.”
“Zenith is a genre-defining VR game that challenges countless players to explore a gorgeous, anime-inspired, massively multiplayer online world. Its incredible potential stems from its multifaceted gameplay which artfully marries deep and satisfying RPG mechanics, expansive open-world exploration, thrilling action-adventure combat, and social systems like parties, friends, and guilds. […] What makes Zenith truly special is its massive scope combined with cross-platform interoperability [and] over 100 hours of content at launch.”
“Players will be taken from gritty cyberpunk cities to verdant plains and barren but gorgeous deserts, and they’ll be able to play with countless other players across all major VR platforms,” Ramen CTO Lauren Frazier is quoted as saying. Another closed beta begins today.
Readers will recall that the game raised more than $280,000 from Kickstarter donors back in 2019 and was originally meant to hit closed beta in 2020. Obviously, it saw multiple delays in development along the way. The game’s Kickstarted status isn’t mentioned in today’s press release; Ramen VR does mention its recent $10M funding round, however, and reiterates that there are now 18 people working on the MMO – up from three people back in 2019.
“[Zenith] is a non-subscription, ever-expanding, live service MMO
designed from the ground up for VR. The massive world of Zenith crawls day and night with monsters and creatures that have been empowered by a dark and mysterious god — but glory and treasures await those brave enough to unveil Zenith’s mysteries. Experience action-packed combat that fully utilizes VR’s strengths as you take on monsters that know how to dodge your blows and respond with ferocity. Forge alliances in guilds among a massive community, join together in epic raids and world events and blaze a path to become the most powerful Agent Zenith has ever known.
● Explore an ever-expanding, massive open world through flying, climbing, ziplining, and
even swimming!
● Discover a deep combat system that takes both time and practice to master — shoot,
swing, and cast your way to glory.
● Synthesize powerful items using the spoils of battle and enhance them to become a
legendary Agent.
● Discover the joy of cooking — learn delicious recipes, gather ingredients, and share them
with your friends.
● Play together — conquer Zenith’s greatest challenges, including epic boss battles, public
events and dungeons with hundreds of players on a single server.”
