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Former VR Kanojo Team Celebrates Valentine's by Delaying New Virtual Girlfriend Game

VR game maker Illumination announced hours before Valentine's Day that its virtual girlfriend simulator game VR-Kanojo will see another release delay. The company notes the delays are due to “extensive modification required for Steam approval.” Illumination's continued, “We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused and appreciate your understanding as we continue working to deliver a high-quality experience.”

The Illumination website also released a statement regarding the delay of VR-Kanojo. The statement reiterates the game needing further modifications for Steam approval and the game is currently planned for an April release. However, Illumination notes the release date is still subject to change depending on Steam's review. In the meantime, Illumination plans to “develop the game with the aim of creating a work that meets your expectations.”

This is the second release delay VR-Kanojo has faced. The game was initially slated for Winter 2024. However, the release date was changed to February. Illumination stated in October this was to “further enhance the game.”

Illumination also planned to release VR-Kanojo as an all-ages rated game on Steam. However, Illumination stated on December 26 that it could not reach an agreement during its negotiations with the digital game distributor and decided for an adult-only version release of the game. In its press release, Illumination stated, “The transition to an adult-only version will greatly expand the freedom of expression, making it possible to bring out the charm of the characters and story more deeply than ever before.”

A Little Background

The Japanese adult game brand Illusion released VR Kanojo (VRカノジョ), a virtual reality girlfriend simulator, in 2018. Illusion ended business operations in 2023, but the former staffers of VR Kanojo reunited to launch a new company named Illumination (no relation to the American CG animation studio) in spring 2024.

Illumination announced a new game under a slightly re-tweaked name VR-Kanojo (VR-na Kanojo or VRな彼女) in June 2024. The company subsequently announced a crowdfunding campaign for the game in August 2024. The crowdfunding campaign ran from September 1 to October 19 and received 23,000,000 yen (about US$151,689.52). Illumination has consistently made updates regarding the development of VR-Kanojo on social media.

Sources: Illumination's X/Twitter account (link 2, link 3, link 4), Illumination's website (link 2), Siliconera