Toggle search
Toggle menu
5.4K
6.1K
229
52.6K
VR & AR Wiki
Toggle preferences menu
Toggle personal menu
Not logged in
Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits.

Gunfire Games

vrarwiki.com · VR & AR Wiki
More actions
Gunfire Games
Information
Industry Video games
Founded 2014
Founder David Adams and former Vigil Games developers
Headquarters Austin, Texas, United States
Notable Personnel David Adams (CEO as of 2019)
Products Herobound: Spirit Champion, Chronos, From Other Suns, Darksiders III, Remnant: From the Ashes, Remnant II
Parent THQ Nordic (since 2019)
Website https://gunfiregames.com


Gunfire Games is an American video game developer based in Austin, Texas. It was formed in 2014 by former members of Vigil Games, the studio behind the Darksiders series, and has been owned by THQ Nordic since 2019.[1][2][3]

For its first three years the studio worked mostly on virtual reality games for Oculus platforms. Its first game was the Samsung Gear VR title Herobound, made with Oculus, and it went on to release Chronos as an Oculus Rift launch title in March 2016, help Oculus Studios build Dead and Buried for Oculus Touch, and release the cooperative Rift game From Other Suns in November 2017.[4] After that the studio moved to conventional console and PC games, including Darksiders III and the Remnant series; Remnant: From the Ashes grew out of the world first built for Chronos.[4]

Reviewed 15 October 2026. Founding, staff counts, VR releases, Dead and Buried role, later games, THQ Nordic acquisition, Darksiders 4 status and review quotes checked against each cited source About review dates.

History

Formation

Publisher THQ declared bankruptcy at the end of 2012, and its collapse ended Vigil Games. Crytek then took on a group of former Vigil staff as Crytek USA; Bit-tech put the number at 36 plus Adams, while a Gunfire developer later told GamesBeat it was "about 50 of us".[5][6] In August 2014 Game Informer and Bit-tech reported that David Adams, the Vigil Games co-founder who had been running Crytek USA, had left Crytek with several of its leads and started Gunfire Games. Bit-tech reported that the new studio began with seven people, and Game Informer reported that all of its members were former Vigil employees.[5][7] The studio marks 15 September 2014 as its anniversary and says it had fewer than 15 people at the start.[4] Its about page lists the Vigil Games roles its founding staff had held, including general manager, game director, executive producer, technical director and audio director.[8]

Virtual reality period (2014-2017)

In a 2016 post on the Oculus developer blog, design director John Pearl wrote that the studio took its "first steps" in VR by working with Oculus on Herobound: First Steps for Gear VR.[3] Oculus listed "HeroBound: First Steps by Oculus" among the launch content of the Samsung Gear VR Innovator Edition, which went on sale in December 2014.[9] A sequel, Herobound: Spirit Champion, followed on Gear VR a few months later. Engadget, which credited it to Gunfire Games, described it in May 2015 as "essentially a Zelda-type adventure game" that needed a Bluetooth controller, and reported that it was free.[10][4] Pearl wrote that both Herobound games used a stationary camera overlooking a single room.[3]

Around the same time the studio remastered Darksiders II as Darksiders II: Deathinitive Edition for Nordic Games (later THQ Nordic); GamesBeat describes the remaster as one of the studio's first projects.[6][4] It was released for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on 27 October 2015.[11]

The studio's first original Rift game was Chronos, a third-person role-playing game. Gunfire says it made the game in less than 11 months so that it could launch alongside the Oculus Rift, and it also released a Rift version of Herobound: Spirit Champion.[4] Both were on the list of 30 games Oculus announced for the Rift's launch on 28 March 2016, where Spirit Champion appeared as "Herobound SC".[12] UploadVR gave Chronos's launch price as US$49.99.[13] Instead of a first-person view, Chronos uses static cameras placed in each scene that the player aims by turning their head, a design Pearl said was meant to keep a sense of presence while the player watches their character.[3]

Gunfire then worked with Oculus Studios on the Wild West shooter Dead and Buried. In an October 2016 post, Oculus wrote that it had "collaborated with Gunfire Games to assist in creating a game larger than ourselves"; the game was given free to Oculus Touch buyers at the controllers' launch on 6 December 2016.[14][15] Its last VR release was From Other Suns, a cooperative shooter in which up to three players manage a spaceship and its crew, with randomized levels and encounters. Oculus put it on sale for the Rift on 14 November 2017 at US$39.99, and Touch controllers were required.[16][17][18] After an open beta, players asked for more movement options, and the studio added a comfort mode and an advanced mode.[6] At that point, in November 2017, GamesBeat reported that the studio had about 60 employees and had made games "mostly for VR headsets like the Samsung Gear VR and the Oculus Rift".[6]

Console and PC games

THQ Nordic announced in July 2018 that Darksiders III, then in development at Gunfire Games, would be released on 27 November 2018 for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.[19] The studio's next game, the third-person survival action shooter Remnant: From the Ashes, was published by Perfect World Entertainment and released on 20 August 2019 for PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4.[20] Gunfire says Remnant built on the world it had started in Chronos.[4]

On 14 August 2019, THQ Nordic announced that it had acquired Gunfire Games. The purchase price was not disclosed. The release described the studio as based in Austin with 63 game developers, said that CEO David Adams would continue to lead it and that the active founders would keep their roles, and said that Gunfire would operate as an independent studio under THQ Nordic GmbH in Vienna.[2]

THQ Nordic announced Chronos: Before the Ashes, an updated non-VR version of Chronos for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC and Stadia, in September 2020 for release on 1 December 2020; the Steam version lists that release date.[21][22] The studio's FAQ for that release says the new version does not support VR and that the original "Chronos VR" stayed exclusive to the Oculus store; it also describes Chronos as a prequel set one month before the events of Remnant: From the Ashes.[23] Remnant II, published by Gearbox Publishing, followed on 25 July 2023 for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S; the studio calls it its biggest success to date.[24][4] In September 2024 the studio announced the third and final downloadable expansion for the game, The Dark Horizon.[4]

Darksiders 4

THQ Nordic and Gunfire Games announced Darksiders 4 on 1 August 2025 for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, without a release date.[25] Gunfire describes it as a third-person action-adventure game in which players choose one of the Four Horsemen.[26] In August 2026, parent company Embracer Group's interim report listed "Darksiders 4 from Gunfire Games" among releases it expected in its 2027/28 financial year, which ends in March 2028.[27]

Products

Virtual reality games

Title Year Platforms Notes
Herobound: First Steps 2014 Samsung Gear VR Made with Oculus; Oculus listed it "by Oculus" among Gear VR Innovator Edition launch content[3][9]
Herobound: Spirit Champion 2015 (Gear VR), 2016 (Rift) Samsung Gear VR, Oculus Rift Free on Gear VR in May 2015; Rift launch title[10][12]
Chronos 2016 Oculus Rift Rift launch title, 28 March 2016[12][13]
Dead and Buried 2016 Oculus Rift with Oculus Touch With Oculus Studios; free with Touch from 6 December 2016[14]
From Other Suns 2017 Oculus Rift with Oculus Touch Up to three-player co-op; released 14 November 2017[16][17]

Other games

Title Year Platforms Notes
Darksiders II: Deathinitive Edition 2015 PlayStation 4, Xbox One Remaster of the Vigil Games original[6][11]
Darksiders III 2018 PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One Published by THQ Nordic[19]
Remnant: From the Ashes 2019 PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One Published by Perfect World Entertainment[20]
Chronos: Before the Ashes 2020 PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Stadia Non-VR version of Chronos[22][23]
Remnant II 2023 PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S Published by Gearbox Publishing; released 25 July 2023[24]
Darksiders 4 Unreleased PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S Announced August 2025; expected by March 2028 per Embracer Group[25][27]

Reception of VR games

Game Informer gave Chronos 8.5 out of 10 and wrote, "I still can't believe Gunfire Games completed Chronos in time for launch of Oculus."[1] UploadVR's review called it "a tightly-crafted and deep roleplaying game unlike anything else available for VR at the moment".[13] Gunfire states that Game Informer named Chronos its VR Game of the Year for 2016.[23]

Road to VR gave From Other Suns 7.5 out of 10. Its reviewer found that immersion dropped when little on the ship was interactive and called the game "too brutal for the casual weekender going solo", but wrote that online multiplayer "significantly changes the amount of fun you'll have".[28]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Chronos Review: A Labyrinth With Many Layers". Game Informer. 2016-04-22. https://gameinformer.com/games/chronos/b/oculusrift/archive/2016/04/22/chronos-oculus-rift-review. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "THQ Nordic acquires Gunfire Games - the studio behind the Darksiders series". Cision News. THQ Nordic AB. 2019-08-14. https://news.cision.com/thq-nordic-ab/r/thq-nordic-acquires-gunfire-games---the-studio-behind-the-darksiders-series,c2880605. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 John Pearl (2016-05-09). "Third Person Adventuring in Chronos". Meta Horizon Developers Blog. Meta Platforms. https://developers.meta.com/horizon/blog/third-person-adventuring-in-chronos/. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 "Gunfire Games 10 Year Anniversary!". Gunfire Games. 2024-09-13. https://gunfiregames.com/blog-five/2024/9/13/gunfire-games-10-year-anniversary. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 David Hing (2014-08-11). "Ex-Crytek USA senior staff form Gunfire Games". Bit-tech. https://bit-tech.net/news/gaming/ex-crytek-usa-senior-staff-form-gunfire-gam/1. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 "Gunfire Games: Coming home to Darksiders after a whole lot of pain and grief". GamesBeat. 2017-11-16. https://gamesbeat.com/gunfire-games-coming-home-to-darksiders-after-a-whole-lot-of-pain-and-grief/. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
  7. ↑ Matt Helgeson (2014-08-08). "Ex-Vigil Games Founder Leaves Crytek, Forms New Studio". Game Informer. https://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2014/08/08/ex-vigil-games-founder-leaves-crytek-forms-new-studio.aspx. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
  8. ↑ "About Gunfire Games". Gunfire Games. https://gunfiregames.com/about. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Gear VR Innovator Edition Now Available". Meta Quest Blog. Meta Platforms. 2014-12-08. https://www.meta.com/blog/gear-vr-innovator-edition-now-available/. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Nicole Lee (2015-05-08). "Looking at the future of mobile gaming with Samsung's new Gear VR". Engadget. https://www.engadget.com/2015-05-08-samsung-gear-vr-galaxy-s6.html. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Keith Mitchell (2015-10-06). "Darksiders II: Deathinitive Edition releases on October 27th for PS4 and Xbox One". The Outer Haven. https://www.theouterhaven.net/2015/10/darksiders-ii-deathinitive-edition-releases-on-october-27th-for-ps4-and-xbox-one/. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Himanshu (2016-03-17). "Oculus announces list of VR games launching with Rift". GSMArena. https://www.gsmarena.com/oculus_announces_list_of_vr_games_launching_with_rift-blog-17267.php. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 David Jagneaux (2016-03-28). "'Chronos' Review: Dungeons and Danger in VR". UploadVR. https://uploadvr.com/chronos-review-rift-launch/. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Oculus Touch Tuesdays: Dead and Buried". Meta Quest Blog. Meta Platforms. 2016-10-31. https://www.meta.com/blog/oculus-touch-tuesdays-dead-and-buried/. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
  15. ↑ "Dead and Buried". Gunfire Games. https://gunfiregames.com/dead-and-buried. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 "From Other Suns Launches November 14, Pre-Orders Now Live". Meta Quest Blog. Meta Platforms. 2017-10-03. https://www.meta.com/blog/from-other-suns-launches-november-14-pre-orders-now-live/. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Scott Hayden (2017-10-04). "'From Other Suns' FTL-inspired Co-op Shooter to Launch November 14th on Rift". Road to VR. https://www.roadtovr.com/suns-expected-launch-november-14th-rift/. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
  18. ↑ "From Other Suns". Gunfire Games. https://gunfiregames.com/games/fromothersuns. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 "THQ Nordic Announces Darksiders III to Release Worldwide On November 27, 2018". THQ Nordic. 2018-07-09. https://thqnordic.com/news/thq-nordic-announces-darksiders-iii-to-release-worldwide-on-november-27-2018. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 "Remnant: From the Ashes Is Now Available". Arc Games. Perfect World Entertainment. 2019-08-20. https://www.arcgames.com/de/corp-news/detail/11237703-remnant%3A-from-the-ashes-is-now-available. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
  21. ↑ "Chronos: Before the Ashes on Steam". Steam. Valve. https://store.steampowered.com/app/967390/. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 Adam Vitale (2020-09-10). "Chronos: Before the Ashes announced for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, and Stadia, set to release on December 1". RPG Site. https://www.rpgsite.net/news/10214-chronos-before-the-ashes-announced-for-playstation-4-xbox-one-nintendo-switch-pc-and-stadia-set-to-release-on-december-1. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 "Chronos: Before the Ashes". Gunfire Games. https://gunfiregames.com/chronos-bta. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 "Remnant II Now Available for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S". THQ Nordic. 2023-07-25. https://thqnordic.com/news/remnant-ii-now-available-for-pc-playstation-5-and-xbox-series-x-s. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 Mikhail Madnani (2025-08-01). "Darksiders 4 announced for PS5, Xbox Series X-S, and PC". RPG Site. https://www.rpgsite.net/news/18058-darksiders-4-new-trailer-ps5-xbox-series-x-pc-steam. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
  26. ↑ "Darksiders IIII Announced!". Gunfire Games. https://gunfiregames.com/blog-five/2025/8/12/darksiders-iiii-announced. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 Mikhail Madnani (2026-08-14). "Next Kingdom Come game and Darksiders 4 are expected to be out by March 2028: Embracer". RPG Site. https://www.rpgsite.net/news/21108-next-kingdom-come-game-darksiders-4-release-window-embracer. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
  28. ↑ Scott Hayden (2017-11-13). "'From Other Suns' Review". Road to VR. https://www.roadtovr.com/from-other-suns-review/. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
Retrieved from "https://vrarwiki.com/index.php?title=Gunfire_Games&oldid=52044"