BigBox VR
- Open roles
- 0
- Founded
- 2016
- Employees
- 11-50
- Offices
- 1
About BigBox VR
BigBox VR is a Seattle-based virtual reality game development studio focused on multiplayer action, competitive play, and social communities. Founded in 2016, the studio develops and operates VR games that combine physical movement, networked competition, and ongoing content updates. Its work spans game design, engineering, real-time environments, multiplayer systems, and tools that let players create their own experiences.
The studio’s first release, Smashbox Arena, launched in 2016. The team-based action game combined dodgeball-like physics with tactical mobility and appeared on PC VR and PlayStation VR. It established an early focus on multiplayer interactions designed around the capabilities of virtual reality.
Multiplayer worlds and player creation
BigBox VR released POPULATION: ONE in October 2020 for Oculus Quest, Oculus Rift, and SteamVR. Its battle royale format extends combat across three-dimensional environments: players can climb surfaces, glide across landscapes, and construct tactical cover. These mechanics are built around the studio’s Vertical Combat System and FreeMotion movement technology, making traversal a central part of both exploration and combat.
The studio continued developing the game through themed seasons, additional modes, and substantial environment updates. Releases included Uprising, The Frontier, Kingdom Age, and Metropolis, alongside team deathmatch and other variations on multiplayer competition. This ongoing development combines live-service operations with community engagement and player support.
In late 2022, POPULATION: ONE Sandbox expanded the game into user-generated content, giving players tools to build custom maps. The base game subsequently became free-to-play on Meta Quest in March 2023, broadening access to its multiplayer experience.
Company development
Facebook, now Meta Platforms, acquired BigBox VR in June 2021, bringing the studio into Oculus Studios. BigBox VR continued with its dedicated development team in Seattle and remained focused on expanding POPULATION: ONE. The supplied 2026 reporting identifies it among the studios retained during restructuring of Meta’s Reality Labs division.
More about BigBox VR
Leadership
- Chia Chin Lee is Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer / Studio Head.
- Gabe Brown is Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer.
- The founders brought production and engineering experience from Disney, Valve, Sony, and Microsoft.
Early financing and milestones
Before acquisition, the studio raised approximately $6.5 million in venture funding. This included a $5 million seed round in 2018 led by Shasta Ventures, with participation from Pioneer Square Labs Ventures, GSR Ventures, and Outpost Capital.
Meta reported that POPULATION: ONE surpassed $10 million in Quest revenue within a few months of release.
Development approach
The report describes the studio as retaining a nimble operating model after acquisition. Chia Chin Lee said development of Sandbox began at the start of 2022, while the concept dated to the studio’s inception in 2016.
Notable credits
10 creditsOffices
Where BigBox VR is based
- 915 E. Pine Street, Suite 300 / Suite 405, Seattle, WA 98122, United StatesSeattle, Washington, United States
Seattle office
HeadquartersAbout this office
Overall headquarters supporting executive, design, engineering, community, and live-service operations. Supplied sources list Suite 300 and Suite 405 at the same building.
Open roles
Find your next role at BigBox VR