Project Hail Mary recently arrived in cinemas and has been widely acclaimed by critics and audiences alike. Soon, however, the franchise will be heading to VR headsets, with British studio Maze Theory confirming Project Hail Mary: Journey Among the Stars for 2026.
What is Project Hail Mary?
Project Hail Mary is the work of writer Andy Weir – who also happened to write The Martian. Weir released his novel in 2021, but it’s more likely that you know the name from the movie starring Ryan Gosling.
The story follows protagonist Ryland Grace (Gosling), who awakens on a spacecraft with no idea how he happened to arrive there. As it turns out, he’s on this mission because Earth’s Sun is slowly dimming due to a microorganism known as “astrophage”. These creatures have, in fact, infected multiple nearby stars, the only one unaffected being Tau Ceti. Humanity then sends a one-way mission to Tau Ceti to gather data, of which Grace is one of the scientists onboard (now the only one).
En route, Grace discovers a rock-like alien he names “Rocky”, and so they continue their journey together.
Project Hail Mary: Journey Among the Stars
For this VR experience, Maze Theory hasn’t gone down the route of trying to recreate the movie or book. Instead, Project Hail Mary: Journey Among the Stars promises an untold chapter from the mission. You’ll still be stepping into the shoes of Ryland Grace, and you’ll still encounter Rocky. But in VR, you’re trying to save the mission by diagnosing failing systems and improvising scientific solutions.
Just like the movie, you’ll form an emotional bond with Rocky as you make attempts to save the ship.
Project Hail Mary: Journey Among the Stars will be playable as both a VR and a mixed reality experience. Coming to Meta Quest and Pico headsets in late 2026.
Maze Theory, the Major IP Studio
The veteran team at Maze Theory have become one of the go-to studios for bringing major IPs to life in VR. This began years ago with Doctor Who: Edge of Time, with spin-off projects also created for flatscreen gaming.
This was followed by Peaky Blinders: The King’s Ransom in 2023, creating a unique tale based on the hit TV show. But it’s not just film and TV projects that Maze Theory works on. They also developed Thief VR: Legacy of Shadow alongside Vertigo Games and Eidos Montreal. Plus, there’s Infinite Inside, the studios’ own original IP.
As further details are released, XRSource will keep you updated.
