"Blade Runner" returns: New XR experience launches in 2027

Behaviour Interactive, known for the asynchronous multiplayer horror “Dead by Daylight,” is working with PHI Studio on an immersive adaptation of the sci-fi classic “Blade Runner.” As the two Montreal-based companies announced, the project planned for next year is to become a “multi-sensory installation” that transports visitors directly into the dystopian world of the film series.

Few details known so far

Those involved describe the project very vaguely. The experience is intended to go beyond classic games and open up new forms of entertainment. Concrete content or technical details remain open for now. All that is certain so far is that the project is set to launch in several cities in North America. It is not known whether the experience will also find its way to Europe.

PHI Studio has implemented various XR projects to date and is likely to rely on a mix of virtual reality and augmented reality for the “Blade Runner” project. Among the studio's best-known projects are “The Infinite,” based on the VR space documentary “Space Explorers,” or the mixed reality theater piece “Blur – A Promise of Immortality,” shown at Venice Immersive 2025. The latter is also expected to come to Germany soon. PHI is also involved in the implementation of the planned VR project for the Netflix hit “Black Mirror.”

In the coming months, the studios want to reveal more about the planned content. In any case, the source material provides enough material for an intense scenario. Fans of the “Blade Runner” universe can look forward to another highlight next year when the new series “Blade Runner 2099” premieres on Amazon Prime.

Major brands are moving into XR experiences

Major brands have been deliberately incorporated into location-based XR experiences for years. Recently, CD Projekt Red announced together with Zero Latency their implementation of “Cyberpunk 2077” for VR arcades, where visitors can move freely through real spaces while the environment is digitally displayed. Sandbox VR offers a similar VR experience for the hit series “Stranger Things,” and brands like “Squid Game,” “Rebel Moon,” “Far Cry,” or “Warhammer 40K” have also been implemented as location-based VR experiences.

(joe)