Project Hail Mary's Newest Chapter Is Coming From An Unexpected Source
Now you can meet Rocky face-to-face without ever leaving the living room.
Since VR gaming first left the arcade and became accessible with the development of the Oculus Rift over ten years ago, it feels like the games that take the best advantage of the medium are the ones that allow players to step into fantastical worlds or provide an experience that could only be accomplished through total immersion. Unlike regular consoles, which naturally require a level of interactivity but are also at a distance due to the screen itself, VR quite literally transforms the world around you to create something almost tangible. Games like Superhot, Beat Saber, and even VR ports like Resident Evil Village all use the technology of virtual reality to provide an experience you can’t get from simply holding a controller in front of a TV.
With all that under consideration, what better usage of VR is there than replicating the incredible odyssey of one of the year’s most acclaimed blockbusters? Project Hail Mary, the big-screen adaptation of Andy Weir’s hard science novel of the same name, has already grossed $430 million to become the second-highest grossing film of the year in just 3 weeks, and it’s been showered with praise for not only its surprising emotional resonance and sincerity but its staggering visuals as well (courtesy of Greig Fraser, the coveted cinematographer of The Batman and the Dune films). With the film already achieving immense success, it’s only fitting that audiences would get to return to the world of PHM – all from the comfort of their living room.
Project Hail Mary: Journey Among The Stars is an upcoming VR gaming experience developed by Maze Theory, coming later in 2026. The studio has already cut its teeth on many licensed games, most of which are designed for VR, including Peaky Blinders: The Kings Ransom, Thief VR, and Doctor Who: The Edge of Time. Their experience crafting hyper-specific, absorbing representations of iconic pre-existing worlds makes them an ideal choice to bring audiences back to the Hail Mary and the journey to Tau Ceti.
In the game, players will take control of Ryland Grace, the science teacher and molecular biologist played by Ryan Gosling in the film. The story is set during the events of the movie, chronicling an untold chapter in Grace’s adventure with his newfound alien friend Rocky. Also of note is the fact that the narrative of the game is written by Andy Weir himself, which means it’ll fit perfectly alongside the canon of the film.
Journey Among The Stars takes place during the film and offers players a chance to experience the mission to save humanity themselves.
As evidenced by our first glimpses at the game, the VR experience will replicate the interior of the Hail Mary ship, and asks players to troubleshoot failing systems and solve scientific problems on board to ensure that humanity’s last hope makes it to its destination safely. Putting you in Grace’s shoes takes the existential tension of the film one step further, as instead of watching one man attempt to save Earth, players will undertake that mission themselves, with one wrong step meaning total eradication. It’s a quest with massive stakes, but luckily it’s not one you have to do alone – players will be joined by Rocky, who will assist them and be a persistent companion throughout.
There’s so much wish-fulfillment contained in epic science fiction like Project Hail Mary – the unified cooperation of the globe in service of a shared goal, the ingenuity of the human race, the bravery and selflessness of being the one to undergo such a mission – and now fans of the film can get a taste of what that wish-fulfillment feels like firsthand.
With the film itself standing as one of 2026’s biggest cinematic successes, there are sure to be a host of people eager to take control of the Hail Mary when Journey Among the Stars finally releases.
