Meta Cancels System Shock 2 VR and Numerous Other Projects

Meta has pulled the plug on the System Shock 2 VR project, along with several other initiatives, according to the remaster studio’s lead. Still, there’s a glimmer of hope for a future revival of development.

Celebrating its 25th anniversary, the iconic 1999 PC action RPG, System Shock 2, is getting a remastered release this June across Steam, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch. However, Stephen Kick, who heads up the remastering studio, shared on Bluesky that they had to cancel plans for a VR version planned for Oculus.

In a post, Stephen Kick elaborated, “Initially, we were working on a VR version for Oculus, but Facebook ended up scrapping numerous projects, including SS2VR. We’ve had conversations about possibly picking up development again, and if that happens, it could emerge as a patch later on or even as a standalone release. For now, we’ll need to gauge the reaction to the upcoming 25th Anniversary remaster!”

The VR iteration of System Shock 2 first popped up on our radar back in 2021, promising features like full co-op multiplayer and PC cross-play support. However, by 2022, it had slipped down the studio’s list of priorities and was eventually shelved.

Kick’s post didn’t specify whether the targeted Oculus version was intended for PC VR setups like the Oculus Rift or for the Quest as a standalone device. We’ve reached out for clarification on that front. We’ve also contacted Meta to see if they can shed any light on these developments.

Despite the shelving, Kick mentioned that there’s been internal talk of reigniting the project. If that does happen, the VR version might surface as a future update or a separate release. “The decision likely hinges on how the 25th Anniversary remaster performs in the market,” Kick hinted, suggesting that the prospects for a VR port rest on the remaster’s reception.