AEXLAB, the creative team behind the VR shooter Vail (2024), has recently launched a crowd-investment initiative to fuel the game’s continued development. This move comes after the multiplayer shooter has impressively pulled in over $5.5 million in revenue, thanks to more than 300,000 unique players across PC VR and Quest platforms.
Unlike the usual crowdfunding approaches that trade funds for promised products, this Miami-based studio is opting for equity crowd-investment. The goal here is to sustain support for Vail. In a strategy echoing that of Virtuix when they sought backing for their Omni One VR treadmill in 2023, AEXLAB is inviting individual investors to buy common stock in the company. They’ve opened the floor to investments of at least $1,000, revealing the current stock price at $36.52.
It’s worth noting that shares in private companies don’t have the same market liquidity as those on public stock exchanges, meaning you can’t readily buy and sell them. Recovering funds from such an investment hinges on two major events: the company getting acquired or going public through an IPO. Both of these are viewed as long-term prospects, typically unfolding over 5 to 10 years or more.
Predicting the pace at which XR might evolve is tough, but it’s clear that AEXLAB’s appeal is directed at those banking on a significant surge in the XR sector and the studio’s capacity to effectively harness that growth.
The team’s sentiment was evident when they shared, “With your support, we’ve crafted something extraordinary, and it’s crucial for us to offer long-term community members the chance to be a part of our future endeavors. This is your opportunity to join us as we take VAIL VR to unprecedented heights.”
Just how far can Vail go? Since its debut on SteamVR and Quest earlier this year, the game’s hybrid free-to-play and paid model has been engaging. Players can explore the Citadel for free, engaging in 1v1 battles and testing various systems and weapons, while access to the complete set of multiplayer modes is available for purchase. This model seems successful so far.
As of now, Vail holds a stellar [4.8/5] rating on the Horizon Store for Quest, with over 13,000 reviews, and an impressive ‘Very Positive’ overall score on Steam from more than 2,300 reviews.
