ZIX Launches Early Access Cauldron on Quest 3/3S and Steam VR This September

Hidden IO Unleashes Cosmic Chaos on September 18; Pre-Order Bonuses Await Meta Quest Users

At Tuesday’s, August 12 VR Games Showcase, Montreal-based studio Hidden IO announced the highly anticipated Early Access release of their debut VR roguelike, ZIX, arriving September 18, 2025, for Meta Quest 3/3S and Steam VR. Available for an introductory $19.99, Meta Quest fans who pre-order gain a 10% discount ($17.99) and receive the exclusive “Keeper of the Deep” skin, welcoming them into the Cult of Chaos.

Dive Into ZIX: A Reality-Bending Cosmic Roguelike

Unraveling the Myth

ZIX draws players into a surreal cosmic fable rooted in chaos and transformation. Each run casts you—and up to two friends—as Acolytes, tasked with feeding a restless cosmic hunger across three realms: the crystalline Grove, the pressure-laden Abyss, and the writhing Gut.

The Gameplay Loop: Alchemy In Motion

• Invade a Realm: Start in one of three vivid worlds, with each area procedurally generated from layered slices, ensuring unique layouts and challenges every run.
• Harvest Ingredients: Battle punk bees, armored crabs, and bile-coated machines. Gather fragments, each introducing new rules like altered gravity, swapped enemy types, or remixed soundtracks.
• Stoke the Cauldron: Use collected ingredients to transform the world at the Cauldron hub—reshape biomes, unleash fresh hazards, and reveal hidden, formidable enemies.
• Push Until It Breaks: Return to the field to endure the reality you’ve twisted. Progress brings Blessings: augments that radically mutate combat abilities and movement skills, inviting creativity and improvisation in each encounter.

FIRST INSTINCT Combat: Motion-Driven Mayhem

ZIX ditches traditional button-based controls, embracing the FIRST INSTINCT system. Two triggers, two grips, and player movement power dramatic actions—vaulting walls, deflecting projectiles, and executing real-feel attacks for an immersive, choreographed combat experience.

Features at Early Access Launch

Key Highlights

• Gesture-Based Combat: Master swords, bows, grenades, and shields using intuitive hand motions.
• Reality Remixing: Transform worlds mid-run by altering enemy types, physics, biomes, and music in real time.
• Co-op Mayhem & Dynamic Bosses: Tackle runs solo or with two cross-platform friends. Face epic bosses whose arenas reshape themselves dynamically.
• Customizable Difficulty: Apply modifiers for challenging or quirky runs—from friendly-fire duels to low-gravity battles.
• Cosmetic Progression: Unlock palette swaps, body attachments, and signature skins—including the pre-order exclusive.

The Studio Behind the Chaos

Hidden IO was founded by brothers Tam and Sol Tahirli, refugees-turned-industry veterans, who blended their experience from Unity and Ubisoft to push VR boundaries. Supported by Meta’s Oculus Publishing and the Canada Media Fund, their first project, ZIX, is a fusion of deep roguelike experimentation and expressive VR movement.

Join the Cult of Chaos

• Early Access Starts: September 18, 2025, on Meta Quest 3/3S and Steam VR
• Price: $19.99 USD; Meta Quest pre-order price $17.99 with bonus skin

Wishlist or pre-order at the Meta Quest Store and Steam. Discover more at the official website, join the conversation on Discord, and connect via X, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.
Light the Cauldron—reality is just the first move!