Vail VR Studio Launches Crowd-Investment Campaign After Generating $5.5M in Revenue

AEXLAB, the creative minds behind the VR shooter Vail (2024), have initiated a crowd-investment campaign to fund the game’s ongoing development. The studio proudly shared that the multiplayer shooter has already surpassed $5.5 million in revenue, thanks to the interest of over 300,000 players on both PC VR and Quest platforms.

Breaking away from the traditional crowdfunding model, where backers commonly pledge funds in exchange for a future product, this Miami-based studio is taking a unique approach. They’ve opted for an equity crowd-investment strategy to sustain Vail’s future. In a manner reminiscent of how Virtuix advanced its Omni One VR treadmill back in 2023, AEXLAB is inviting individual investors to acquire common stock in the company. As outlined on their investment page, they’re currently accepting investments starting at $1,000, with the share price pegged at $36.52.

It’s worth noting that shares in private companies typically aren’t liquid. This means there isn’t an established market for buying and selling them like there is on public exchanges. Investors looking to see returns would usually need one of two key developments: either the studio gets acquired by another entity or they launch an initial public offering (IPO). Both routes are recognized as long-term exit strategies, and, as the studio points out in their FAQ, it could take around 5 to 10 years—or perhaps even longer.

The future of XR might be unpredictable, but AEXLAB is clearly tapping into individuals who have faith in the rapid growth of the XR industry. These investors are betting not just on the industry’s growth, but also on AEXLAB’s ability to navigate and capitalize on this growth surge.

In their own words, AEXLAB expresses gratitude, stating, “We’ve built something extraordinary with your support, and it’s important to us to give longstanding community members like you the chance to be part of this next chapter. This is your opportunity to join us as we scale VAIL VR to heights previously only dreamed of.”

So, how high could Vail go? Released earlier this year on SteamVR and Quest, the game has effectively implemented a hybrid free-to-play/paid model. Players can dive into the Citadel location freely, enjoying 1v1 battles and a sandbox-like environment to experiment with systems and weapons. Meanwhile, the full slate of multiplayer modes is available for purchase. This approach appears to be resonating well with players.

Currently, Vail boasts an impressive [4.8/5] rating on the Horizon Store for Quest from over 13,000 reviews, along with a ‘Very Positive’ overall user score on Steam from more than 2,300 reviews.