Development Timeline

Update October 3, 2025

Cosmic Frightfall & 4v4 Update

Halloween vibes + competitive arenas.

The whole Orion is Halloween themed, and tennis courts added in Club District

Spooky Supplies: Skel.exe bundle + 10,000 Driftium (until Oct 24) plus other new cosmetics

4v4 arenas added to the orion

Free paddles: OD Paddle in Club District, VRML Paddle near Spooky Supplies

New skybox and quick travel buttons

Watch on YouTube

Dev Update September 4, 2025

Future Update Changes

Moving away from monolithic monthly updates toward frequent quality-of-life releases.

Recent focus areas: voice moderation, Driftball tuning, netcode improvements.

Quest kiosk changes, bug/crash fixes already rolling out.

Next regular update early October: 4v4 arenas on The Orion.

4v4 bot matchmaking (station-wide) planned.

New skybox and pro quests coming.

Program August 22, 2025

Spectator Applications Open

Expanding Early Access Spectator Program; dev talk available for details.

Applications open for dedicated testers.

Goal: broaden access and accelerate polish.

Community feedback loop emphasized.

Links provided to apply and learn more.

Part of ongoing push toward better viewing tools.

Spectator Applications

Esports July 27, 2025

VRMLCon 2025 Finals & Season 1 Announcement

Live LAN finals go on stream; VRML Season 1 begins September 1.

Grand finals streamed with $5,000 prize.

Season 1 start date set: Sept 1.

Registration via VR Master League encouraged.

Community invited to join official VRML Discord.

Competitive scene continues to formalize.

Finals Stream Season 1 Teaser

Update July 3, 2025

Ion Fang Update

First holdable introduced along with a revamped Scraprun (Beta) course.

Ion Fang: melee-style holdable for playful interactions.

New Scraprun traps, challenges, and flow.

Weekly cosmetic awarded automatically to winners.

Updated kiosk UI.

New Parkour old weekly challenge VOTING system.

Watch on YouTube

Roadmap June 20, 2025

Summer Roadmap

Moderation, economy, activities, and weekly content plans outlined.

GGWP & AI voice moderation; automatic actions.

New earnable currency for activities/challenges.

Holdable tools, new cosmetics, bundles, a la carte.

Improved Driftball mechanics, performance, networking.

New Scraprun mode with fresh traps.

Weekly content cadence and art/skybox updates.

Update June 6, 2025

Parkour Update

Revamped Parkour District, new quests/secrets, Sparks Supplies overhaul, and Driftium giveaway.

Parkour environment refresh and new challenges.

Sparks shop: bundles, Driftium, a la carte.

50,000 Driftium giveaway (5k × 10 winners).

Watch on YouTube

Comp Update April 27, 2025

4v4 Driftball Build Released

WIP arenas shared openly; feedback invited; VRML teams can test competitive builds.

Nothing finalized; subject to change.

Testing access via fully-registered VRML teams.

Community-first iteration emphasized.

Encourages ongoing feedback.

Program April 25, 2025

Orion Drift Creator Program Launch

Announces first wave of official creators and opens Shooting Star applications.

Recognizes outstanding community creators.

Program tiers to expand (Rocketeer later in year).

Single application needed upon meeting requirements.

Ongoing scouting; avoid DM spam to staff.

Use #OrionDrift for discoverability.

Creator Applications

Update April 25, 2025

Drift Blitz — New 7v7 Game Mode

Laid-back, creative teamplay with ball curvature mechanics and configurable arena settings.

7v7 format; chill pace and big-team energy.

Curving shots enable stylish plays and teamwork.

Safety/settings updates and dribble quests.

New player badges and two cosmetic bundles.

Arena settings customization introduced.

Watch on YouTube

Comp Update April 18, 2025

Competitive Moves to 4v4

All official VRML tournaments shift to 4v4 with a larger standard arena.

Decision based on testing and community observation.

Online qualifiers and live finals follow 4v4.

New arena supports higher-level play.

Further testing opportunities to be announced.

VRML OD Discord

Update March 28, 2025

Capture the Beacon

Fast-paced PvP mode with no team size limit and drop-in matches.

Capture opponent’s beacon and return to base.

Uncapped teams create chaotic, emergent play.

New cosmetics ship alongside the update.

Watch on YouTube

Esports March 27, 2025

VRML Partnership & July LAN

Monthly tournaments lead into VRMLCon 2025 with a $5,000 final.

Two-stage format: online qualifiers then LAN finals.

Guaranteed prize pools for monthly tournaments.

Info hub launched for ongoing details.

Community teams encouraged to form and register.

Event Info

Milestone March 10, 2025

50,000 Discord Drifters

Community milestone celebrated; call to keep Orion welcoming and positive.

Encourages supportive behavior in-game and online.

Signals ongoing growth post-launch.

Program March 1, 2025

Orion Guides & Discord Mods

Trusted players support new drifters and report bad actors; new paid mod team announced.

Guides help both in-game and online.

Not a popularity contest; no application.

24/7 moderation coverage via paid team.

Emphasis on safe, welcoming spaces.

Launch February 25, 2025

Open Early Access Has Arrived

Orion Drift opens for all players; daily events and rewards kick off.

Available on Meta store.

ScrapRun events and dev drop-ins planned.

Weekly cosmetic awards for positive community actions.

Open EA trailer released.

Watch on YouTube

Announcement February 18, 2025

Open Early Access Announced

Closed EA ending Feb 23; Open EA begins Feb 25 with a pre-launch stream on Feb 24.

Emphasis on continued community-driven development.

Encourages watching the pre-launch invitational.

Centralized updates via Discord channels.

Watch on YouTube

Public Test November 20-21, 2024

Server Scalability Test

Servers opened to everyone for 2 days.

Community participation exceeded expectations

Feedback is collected to further development

Servers opened for testing to test and find failures in the server system.

Watch on YouTube

Event November 1-2, 2024

VR Meet Europe 2024

First live play outside Vegas; attendees reserve slots and bring headsets.

Official sponsorship with VR Meet.

Exclusive first look for attendees.

Signals readiness for broader hands-on.

Watch on YouTube Event Site

Snapshot August 20, 2024

Developer Snapshot 1

Seamless stations, fluid movement, Heart-ball, massive gatherings, and customization revealed.

Closed Early Access signup opened.

Video overview released.

Introduces core pillars and player fantasy.

Watch on YouTube

Dev Update June 10, 2024

Introducing the Orion-Class Orbital Ring

Scope expands beyond earlier stations; districts and zero-G core define a larger vision.

Artificial gravity rim + zero-G center.

Multiple districts with varied activities.

App Lab timeline pushed back to pursue bigger ideas.

More community entry to EA over time.

Event October 14, 2023

Vagas Event

Radically open dev approach; gray-box builds; scheduled sessions to ensure playtime equity.

Share prototypes early and iterate publicly.

Focus on stations, mechanics, and future of the game.

30-minute target play sessions at the event.

Feature talks: movement, level editor, stations, tools.

Announcement August 15, 2023

Project A2 Announced

A2 revealed as a diegetic zero-G VR sports world; early access starts small and grows.

Closed EA begins with ~20 players in September.

Monthly additions to the closed program.

Community First Look set for Oct 14 in Las Vegas.

Open App Lab goal originally early 2024.