As we get a lot closer to the finish line, it’s finally time to show you exactly what our game has to offer.  We recently let a handful of folks in the gaming media go hands-on with the first ten minutes of Empire City, which is designed to teach you how to play and give you a taste of the game’s scope through its fundamentals.

So what did they get to experience?

• Freedom of Expression: A fundamental value of VR is the creative freedom it gives players since they can move any way they want. No pre-determined combos or finishers. Stealth before fighting? Your call. Smoke bombs mid-fight? Up to you. Finish with a punch, a kick, a staff to the head? Which direction? Enjoy.

• Stealth: Move silently, and get the drop on enemies before you’re spotted. Sneaky Turtles make for speedy takedowns, which can give you an advantage – especially if you’re tangling with a larger group of enemies.

• Everyday Action: All four Turtles, all four weapons – and while they handle differently, they handle exactly like you’d expect them to. This is one of the great advantages of VR. There’s no magic button sequence you need to memorize to feel kickass. Just grab Mikey’s nunchuks and swing!

• Action for “Special Occasions”: Sometimes whacking a Foot Soldier with a bo just isn’t enough. Every brother has a special charged attack in Empire City, and in the first 10 minutes, we want you to have a taste. When Donatello grabs his staff with two hands instead of one, it gets juiced with electricity. I say “don’t let the power go to your head,” but I guess it depends where you swing it. 

• Rooftop Navigation (Parkour): Big Turtles make big jumps – and it’s a good thing too, considering how many buildings and alleys there are to navigate in New York. Jumping and scaling low-rises, navigating around their corners to discover enemy patrols, and mixing it all with dash kicks to stun enemies. What a city! Parkour, just like we promised.

• Hacking: Sometimes problems require brains over brawn. Quick puzzle sections pop up from time to time that you’ll need to solve to progress. Just like combat, we get to lean on the power of VR here to bring you into the world. These are hands-on puzzles in the truest sense of the world. (Don’t worry, we have experience on this front. See: Escaping Wonderland)
  
• Humor: As serious as the story is, it wouldn’t be the Turtles without a healthy dose of personality. Between comms with your Turtles, your friends, and overhearing chatter of the Foot from time-to-time, the first 10 minutes help to showcase how the boys will keep things light when everything around them gets heavy in Empire City.

It was great to see the reaction from different folks. Here are a few of our favorite articles and videos:

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Empire City is launching in 2026, and the new year is right around the corner, so you’d better believe things will be heating up! (Please, please let things heat up – the winters here in Sweden are cold, folks).

In January, you’ll be hearing from our composer, Alex May, to learn about the game’s soundtrack. He’s made some really unique choices that have resulted in something entirely its own, and yet very, very Turtles. I can’t wait for you to hear it. 

“Release date when?”

I hear you. And I promise – I’ll tell you next year. 😉 

Fellow Chucker,
Ace

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Empire City is coming exclusively to VR headsets in 2026. Wishlist today on Meta Quest and SteamVR.