Team 21 Studio
- Open roles
- 0
- Founded
- 2018
- Employees
- 11-50
- Offices
- 2
About Team 21 Studio
Team 21 Studio is an independent virtual reality game developer best known for Ilysia, a high-fantasy, room-scale VR massively multiplayer online role-playing game. The studio develops and publishes the title, combining game design, software engineering, multiplayer infrastructure and ongoing community engagement. Its distributed development team has roots in South Carolina.
The company's creative origins lie in the Fogle brothers' experiments with 3D animation, modeling and programming. After exploring VR applications for military veteran rehabilitation, they turned toward an online fantasy world intended to bring the depth and social experience of classic PC MMORPGs into virtual reality. Early project development preceded the studio's formal corporate establishment in 2020.
Building an online world for VR
Ilysia brings together open-world exploration, character progression and physical interaction. Players can climb, swim and travel through its fantasy environments using airships and caravans. Combat incorporates physics-based melee and gesture casting, while multiplayer systems support a persistent shared world across compatible headsets.
The game passed through multiple alpha and closed beta phases before entering Early Access on Meta Quest and SteamVR on October 11, 2023. Subsequent development included engine, visual and gameplay overhauls. In 2025, the studio transitioned the base game to a free-to-play model alongside expanded regional content. A PlayStation VR2 release is planned.
Development and ongoing operation
The studio's work spans full-cycle VR game production, real-time multiplayer backend architecture and live operations. Community management and public playtesting form part of its development approach, connecting player feedback with the continuing evolution of Ilysia.
Its production capabilities combine cross-platform VR integration with the ongoing demands of operating an online game: maintaining multiplayer infrastructure, delivering updates and supporting an active player community. The company remains focused on developing and operating its own VR gaming experience.
More about Team 21 Studio
Founders and leadership
- Brothers Alexander ("Xander") Fogle and Arthur ("Art") Fogle conceived the studio's project, with 3D animation assistance from their brother Geoffrey Fogle.
- Tyler Washburn serves as Chief Executive Officer and Executive Producer, overseeing business development, capitalization and project production.
Funding and community milestones
- The September–October 2020 Kickstarter campaign raised more than $159,000, reaching 260% of its initial funding goal. Private seed investment subsequently supported network infrastructure and team expansion.
- Community interest on Reddit and Discord helped motivate the founders to pursue commercial development full-time after an earlier development pause.
- The studio shared gameplay and mechanics through VR community presentations called "Tavern Talks" in 2020.
Production systems
- Ilysia's "FreeForge" progression system contains 24 skill trees.
- Its server-authoritative multiplayer architecture is designed to maintain persistent world consistency across supported VR headsets.
Notable credits
1 creditOffices
Where Team 21 Studio is based
- Aiken, South Carolina, United States
Aiken office
- 262 Eastgate Dr., Aiken, SC 29803, USARemote
Remote office
About this office
Virtual headquarters and administrative mailing contact for a distributed development team. The address is a commercial mailbox at The UPS Store, rather than a dedicated studio production office.
Open roles
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