Inside The Boys VR: Trigger Warning’s Gameplay, Story, and Tech

The Boys VR: Trigger Warning is available today for Meta Quest and coming soon to PlayStation VR 2 on PS5.

Adapting a major IP like The Boys into VR presents a unique challenge: how do you capture the tone, chaos, and narrative weight of the series while designing gameplay that fully embraces immersive interaction?

With The Boys VR: Trigger Warning, ARVORE set out to do exactly that by building an original story within the show’s universe while leveraging VR-native mechanics like hand-driven telekinesis and physical exploration. They even got Laz Alonso (Mother’s Milk), Jensen Ackles (Soldier Boy), and more actors from the show to reprise their roles for the game.

Developed in collaboration with Sony Pictures, Meta, and PlayStation, the project represents ARVORE’s most ambitious production to date. We spoke with Ricardo Justus, CEO of ARVORE, at GDC all about the game’s origins, how the team approached designing superpowers in VR, and the complexities of creating a canonical story that fits seamlessly alongside one of TV’s most recognizable franchises. You can read a lightly edited version of our interview below.

Can you give us the elevator pitch for the game and how it came to be?

Ricardo Justus, CEO at ARVORE: The game is called The Boys VR: Trigger Warning. It’s a superhero action story set in The Boys universe, with an original story that takes place alongside recent events of the show.

It’s not based on the graphic novels. It’s strictly tied to the TV show, since it’s published by Sony Pictures. So it’s a fully original The Boys story that we created in collaboration with the showrunners and creators. It’s very much an authentic extension of the show, and we even have some of the original cast reprising their roles.

You play as a new character, which gives us the freedom to tell a unique story. The project started with us exploring VR interactions for superhero powers, with things like telekinesis, using hand tracking. We were prototyping these ideas internally, not even thinking about The Boys at first.

At the same time, Sony Pictures was exploring VR projects and wanted to do something with The Boys. They hadn’t done anything based on a TV property yet, and since the show is ongoing, it made sense. We connected with them, showed our prototypes, and realized the mechanics fit perfectly with The Boys. From there, we shifted to developing the game specifically for that universe.

It took about nine months of discussions with Sony, Meta, and PlayStation to get everything aligned. The game ended up being funded by all three, and it became the biggest project we’ve ever worked on, with around 50 developers at peak.

Are you still primarily focused on VR as a studio?

Ricardo Justus: Up to now, yes. We strongly believe in VR and continue to work closely with Meta and other partners.

That said, we’ve started expanding into non-VR projects as well. We’re not abandoning VR, we’re just broadening our scope. We do believe in hybrid experiences, but they need to be designed that way from the start. Otherwise, you risk making a weaker VR game or a weaker non-VR game.

Designing for VR is fundamentally different. Input, interface, and interaction all need to be considered from the ground up. VR favors more diegetic interfaces that feel like part of the world, which helps maintain immersion.

How does your experience with Pixel Ripped influence your approach here?

Ricardo Justus: One of our core pillars is always asking how VR makes the game more interesting, different, and engaging.

With Pixel Ripped, we explored how physical interaction affects immersion with things like sitting down and holding a controller in both the real world and the game world. That alignment tricks your brain into believing the experience more deeply.

We’ve carried those lessons forward. With The Boys VR: Trigger Warning, the scale and fidelity are much higher, but the same philosophy applies. We want every interaction to feel meaningful in VR.

How did you approach the story, given that it fits within the show’s timeline?

Ricardo Justus: That’s why we chose to create a new playable character. You’re not playing as Butcher or MM—you’re someone new who joins The Boys.

This allowed us to tell a canonical story without interfering with the main events of the show. We also created a new group of Supes, called the Armstrongs, who act as the primary antagonists. That gave us characters we could fully explore and, in some cases, eliminate.

Homelander is still present as a looming threat, but he’s far beyond your power level. There are moments where your only option is to escape him.

We worked very closely with the show’s writers and showrunners to ensure everything felt authentic. They helped shape the story, dialogue, and tone, while we focused on gameplay. It was a collaborative process where we deferred to them on narrative and they deferred to us on design.

Can you talk about the gameplay and core mechanics?

Ricardo Justus: The game features full locomotion and hand-based interaction.

You play as an IT technician who gets caught in a tragic event at Voughtland. After witnessing something you weren’t supposed to, you’re attacked, and your daughter is killed. That sets up your motivation for revenge.

You’re saved by The Boys and injected with Compound V, which gives you telekinetic abilities. You can pull yourself through the environment, manipulate objects, and engage in combat using these powers.

There are also temporary abilities granted through a new strain of Temp V. These include powers like laser vision, which you activate by physically injecting yourself. These abilities are limited, so players need to use them strategically.

Each mission is structured as an infiltration scenario set in different locations from The Boys universe. You’ll encounter enemies, complete objectives, and face boss battles, all while progressing through a story-driven campaign.

How are you handling performance and comfort in VR?

Ricardo Justus: Performance is critical, especially on standalone devices like Quest.

We designed the game from the ground up with those constraints in mind, including how many enemies can appear on screen at once. We also put a lot of effort into comfort options.

At the start of the game, players can choose from preset comfort settings or customize everything—from locomotion to rotation style. Everyone has different tolerance levels, so giving players control is essential.

What engine are you using, and why?

Ricardo Justus: We’re using Unity. We’re an engine-agnostic studio, but we have a lot of experience with Unity, and it made sense for this project. It also allows us to support platforms like Quest and Galaxy XR more easily.

The PlayStation version will include platform-specific features like adaptive triggers and headset feedback, but we wanted to keep the core experience consistent across platforms.

How long is the game, and what kind of replayability does it offer?

Ricardo Justus: The game is around seven to eight hours long, depending on how you play.

We designed levels to be flexible, allowing players to approach situations in different ways—stealth, combat, or a mix of both. That adds replayability, along with branching paths and multiple solutions to objectives.

There’s also a strong focus on storytelling, with fully voiced characters, interactive sequences, and environmental storytelling elements.

How did you recreate locations from the show?

Ricardo Justus: It was a mix of reference materials and original design.

We received access to photos and production assets, but many locations don’t exist as fully connected spaces in real life. So we had to interpret and build those environments ourselves.

In some cases, like Vought Tower, we had to balance accuracy with practical constraints, including licensing limitations. But overall, we aimed to make everything feel authentic to fans of the show.

Anything else you’d like to add?

Ricardo Justus: We’re incredibly passionate about VR and what it can do as a medium.

It allows players to step into worlds in a way that no other format can. For fans of The Boys, being able to experience that universe firsthand and create their own story within it is something really special—even if it’s a pretty hostile world.

We’re very excited for players to experience it.

Ricardo Justus, CEO of ARVORE

Interview conducted by David Jagneaux

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