At Summer Game Fest 2025, Marvel’s Deadpool VR from Twisted Pixel and Oculus Studios, in collaboration with Marvel Games, wasn’t just announced; players could go hands-on playing as the Merc with the Mouth right on the Play Days show floor. I have been a Deadpool fan for a long time, but sadly, VR does not love me, and when the opportunity to play the game came up, I sadly had to pass up the hands-on time.
However, what that afforded me was the opportunity to sit with some of the dev team from Twisted Pixel while I watched others play, and I was able to get some real insight into the game, better than anything I’d have learned fumbling around in game.
With only a 2025 release window, Marvel’s Deadpool VR will be coming to Meta Quest 3 and 3S exclusively. The demo began with you playing Deadpool’s head, needing to reunite with your body. The game promises a whole new story, but also intends to visit locations and characters across the MCU, “It’s real metaverse stuff—in the Marvel Universe sense, not the VR one.” Of course, this forced me to ask for spoilers, but they were pretty tight-lipped. They did mention you will see Lady Deathstrike, Mephisto, and a pile of Marvel content they aren’t ready to share yet.
It wouldn’t be Deadpool without breaking the fourth wall, and there is plenty of that in Marvel’s Deadpool VR. He knows he is in a game, and Shield contracts him to capture a helicopter, but instead, he crashes it, and chaos ensues. While watching, it felt like no two players were playing the game the same way, and the Twisted Pixel team confirmed this when they explained that they wanted the game to feel unique to each player. Of course, you will have access to Deadpool’s famous guns and katanas, but they really wanted to bring the absurdity of Deadpool to VR.
“Like any great VR game, if you can imagine it, you can probably do it. Sure, you can simply stab or shoot your enemies, but where’s the fun in that? Punch someone while holding a grenade? Check. Take your recently exploded-off arm and throw it at the bad guys? Gross, but also check. Hold an enemy’s face into a spinning propeller? A bloody, but efficient, check. Soldiers, demonic dogs, weird humanoid lizards, creepy worm-things, they’re all waiting to be dismembered in creative (some might say sadistic) ways.”
Deadpool is a wildly famous, but also somewhat niche Marvel character, as in, maybe not as G-rated as some of the others. Pairing that with the even more niche market of VR gaming, and then even MORE niche meta-quest-only platform, I am a little worried for the title. What I can say is that it absolutely has me wanting to jump in, but as I mentioned, VR makes me very, very sick. I spoke to Twisted Pixel about it, apologizing for not going hands-on, and they assured me enough that I may try it, but safely at home and not in the middle of a showfloor.
The team explained that they integrated a few accessibility options that will hopefully allow people like me to play Marvel’s Deadpool VR without the motion sickness. Some examples they gave me included the ability to control snap or free turns, including the value of those fields. There is a camera reset command, and the game is configured to your arm length, which is exciting for us short girlies. I also really appreciated the ability to play standing or seated, and changing your primary hand. I’m not saying it’ll work, but I really hope it does.
Marvel’s Deadpool VR is absolutely not for children, but I would probably consider letting my oldest (10) play. The art style really pays homage to Marvel comics, rather than going with a more realistic style, and I love to see them go this route. So while the game is very gory, it’s a bit more cartoony, making it seem less aggressive. I will note that I couldn’t hear the full audio, and while I know the game will have adult language, I am not positive just how adult.
One other thing that Twisted Pixel touched on that I would have likely missed from the demo alone is just how replayable Marvel’s Deadpool VR is. Of course, there are collectibles which might bring you back for more, but there are also upgrades for various weapons, meaning each playthough you could do things differently. For instance, you can upgrade your sword to a boomerang, and that’s just cool.
“The team explained that they integrated a few accessibility options that will hopefully allow people like me to play Marvel’s Deadpool VR without the motion sickness.”
Because Deadpool knows he is in Marvel’s Deadpool VR, I had to ask if there were any changes to the dialogue during additional playthroughs. The answer was a resounding yes! Things will change from playthrough to playthrough, including dialogue, so I am very excited to see how breaking the fourth wall or making different choices might work in repeated playthroughs.
I want to touch on Neil Patrick Harris, but because I didn’t dive into the game, I only have the trailer and what the team told me to go on. The trailer absolutely feels like an attempt at recreating the Deadpool that Ryan Reynolds has perfected, which many of us have come to know as “our Deadpool.” However, Twisted Pixel said that Harris worked really hard to bring his own spin to Marvel’s Deadpool VR, and during a larger playthrough, we would love what he brings to the table.
Marvel’s Deadpool VR will release sometime in 2025 for Meta Quest 3 and 3S, but for now, we will watch Twisted Pixel and Oculus Studios for more information.
Oh, and don’t worry, Ryan Reynolds is okay…sort of.
