Vertigo Games is taking its Arizona Sunshine franchise in a new direction. The Netherlands-based studio has announced a reimagined flatscreen game based on the zombie series, with a release planned for PS5, Xbox, Switch 2 and PC sometime this year.
A third-person take on the zombie series
This is not a straight VR-to-flatscreen conversion of the original Arizona Sunshine from 2016 or the later Arizona Sunshine Remake from 2024. Instead, Vertigo Games says the new version is being built as a fully reimagined third-person action game.
The project pulls its story from Arizona Sunshine 2, which arrived in 2023, while shifting the gameplay toward bigger zombie encounters and more spectacle-heavy combat.
What the trailer suggests
Based on the trailer, the game appears to lean into larger hordes and a faster style of action than the more deliberate pace associated with the VR originals.
- Weapons shown: shotguns, flamethrowers, grenade launchers and machetes
- Gameplay modes: solo and co-op
- Buddy returns: Sunny’s canine companion is part of the action and can be played as in co-op
A familiar name, but a different format
Vertigo Games is following a path recently seen elsewhere in VR. Polyarc announced in May that it was working on Moss: The Forgotten Relic, a flatscreen adaptation that combines Moss and Moss: Book II into one PC and console release.
For Vertigo Games, the announcement lands during a period of change. Last week, the studio said it was closing its Amsterdam-based satellite studio, which had worked on Metro Awakening VR.
Why this matters for VR fans
Vertigo Games has not only worked in VR. The studio, founded in 2008 and based in Rotterdam, released several flatscreen adventure games before moving into VR development full-time. This new Arizona Sunshine project marks a notable return to that side of the business.
The move also comes as Meta’s Reality Labs XR division has been going through a broader pivot, with studio closures and cancelled projects affecting parts of the VR market. That context gives this announcement extra weight, even if Vertigo has not linked the game directly to any one business decision.
At a glance
| Detail | What we know |
|---|---|
| Game | Arizona Sunshine flatscreen game |
| Format | Reimagined third-person action game |
| Platforms | PS5, Xbox, Switch 2 and PC |
| Release window | Sometime this year |
| Gameplay | Solo and co-op |
