First Contact Entertainment

First Contact Entertainment was an American video game developer founded in 2016, specializing in virtual reality games and multiplayer experiences. Its work spanned PC VR, Oculus platforms and Sony’s PlayStation VR systems, with a particular focus on first-person shooters. The studio developed games using Epic Games’ Unreal Engine and combined game design, multiplayer engineering and 3D content production with ongoing live-service development.

The company’s debut, ROM: Extraction, introduced an arcade-style science-fiction shooter for PC VR headsets in 2016. Its subsequent projects explored different approaches to VR combat, from coordinated tactical encounters to fast-paced competitive arena matches. Across these releases, the studio worked with headset-specific controls and features as part of its gameplay design.

Virtual reality shooters

Released in August 2018, Firewall Zero Hour was published by Sony Interactive Entertainment exclusively for the original PlayStation VR. It centered on tactical, four-versus-four team play and incorporated the PlayStation VR Aim Controller. The game became one of the studio’s best-known releases and established tactical multiplayer combat as a central part of its portfolio.

In 2020, First Contact released Solaris: Offworld Combat, an arena first-person shooter that reached Oculus Quest, Oculus Rift and PlayStation VR. Its faster-paced format offered a different multiplayer experience from the team-based tactics of Firewall Zero Hour.

The studio returned to that tactical series with Firewall Ultra, released in August 2023 as a PlayStation VR2 exclusive. Built in Unreal Engine 5, the successor incorporated features of the newer headset, including eye-tracking weapon selection and haptic feedback.

Final years

First Contact operated in Southern California throughout its history. Following technical difficulties around the launch of Firewall Ultra and challenges in the VR games market, the company announced its permanent closure on December 21, 2023. Operations ended by the close of that month. Studio leadership attributed the decision to insufficient industry support for VR and the continuing expense of AAA VR development.