Virtual reality (VR) boxing has become a cornerstone of fitness videogames, helping players work up a sweat and feeling healthier doing so. However, before the fitness angle was even considered, one of the best boxing experiences in VR was Thrill of the Fight. This past weekend, Halfbrick Studios announced that the sequel, Thrill of the Fight 2, is under its wing. Additionally, noting one exciting new feature.
The original was the work of solo developer Ian Fitz, and he’s still on board. Fitz and Halfbrick Studios are co-developing Thrill of the Fight 2. The sequel has been in development for several years, with Fitz initially teasing work on a sequel back in 2019. Teaming up with Halfbrick Studios should help accelerate development.
Halfbrick isn’t new to VR either. The studio brought its popular mobile title Fruit Ninja to VR headsets, releasing the original for Meta Quest 2 in 2019 whilst Fruit Ninja 2 VR is available for PC VR headsets.
During the video announcement (see below), Halfbrick Studios’ CEO Shainiel Deo said: “We’ll be co-developing alongside Ian to capitalise on his expertise and passion for taking VR boxing to the next level.” That next step will now include multiplayer. Players will finally be able to duke it out with their friends and not just against AI.
Multiplayer is just the start. “We feel there’s plenty of room to improve the mechanics to make fights feel more fair and more realistic,” Deo continued. “If you’re landing the bigger combinations and blows, you should be winning the match. Improving the audio and visual feedback in the game will let players know how effectively they’re dealing strikes.”
Thrill of the Fight 2 doesn’t have a release window at the moment or confirmation of which headsets it’ll support. Although Meta Quest 2 has been used in the video, so that’s a given.
Have you played the original to death? Looking forward to the next instalment? Let us know in the comments below.