AEXLAB, the creative minds behind the VR shooter Vail (2024), have unveiled a new crowd-investment initiative to help drive the game’s continued development efforts. The studio has also proudly announced that their multiplayer shooter has already pulled in more than $5.5 million in revenue, thanks to a growing player base of over 300,000 unique users across both the PC VR and Quest platforms.
Rather than following the usual crowdfunding route, which often involves promising backers a finished product in return for their support, this Miami-based studio is venturing into equity crowd-investment. This strategy aims to secure sustained support for Vail.
Drawing parallels with how Virtuix financed its Omni One VR treadmill in 2023, AEXLAB is on the lookout for individual investors eager to acquire common stock in the company. They have stated on their investment page that they’re now open to minimum investments of $1,000, with shares priced at $36.52 each.
It’s worth noting that shares in private companies typically lack liquidity, meaning there isn’t an easy marketplace for buyers and sellers to trade them like on public stock exchanges. To see returns, investors would need to bank on one of two major events: either the studio gets acquired by another company, or it goes public with an IPO—both being long-term scenarios that AEXLAB acknowledges might take “approximately 5-10 years” or even longer.
How quickly the XR industry will expand remains uncertain, but one thing is clear: AEXLAB is reaching out to individuals who are betting on a significant surge in the XR sector in the coming years and on the company’s ability to ride that wave successfully.
The studio expresses, “We’ve created something exceptional with your support, and it’s crucial for us to offer dedicated community members like you the opportunity to be part of this next chapter. Here’s your chance to help us elevate Vail VR to new heights.”
So, just how far can Vail climb? Since its debut on SteamVR and Quest earlier this year, the game has adopted an innovative free-to-play and paid hybrid model. Players can dive into its Citadel location for free, which includes 1v1 battles and a playground to explore its systems and weaponry. The rest of the game’s captivating content, including the full roster of multiplayer modes, is available through purchase. Judging by its success, this model seems to be hitting the mark.
As of now, the game boasts an impressive [4.8/5] rating on the Quest’s Horizon Store with over 13,000 user reviews, along with a ‘Very Positive’ overall user score on Steam, derived from more than 2,300 reviews.
