Escape or Expire: ‘Ghosts of Tabor’ Officially Launches Today on Meta Quest

Welcome to Tabor, a once thriving country, now a last stand for a few desperate soldiers struggling to survive.

Ghosts of Tabor originally launched last March on App Lab, bringing the excitement of a survival-extraction shooter to Meta Quest. Trapped and isolated in the aftermath of “the nuclear night”, you and your squad must scavenge for supplies, take down enemy factions (both player- and AI-controlled), and escape with your haul, ready to regroup and fight another day.

It’s a tense experience and already became a hit on App Lab as developer Combat Waffle Studios worked to complete the game. Today marks the official launch of Ghosts of Tabor on the Meta Quest Store for Quest 2, 3, and Pro. Remember, trust no one!

We caught up with Combat Waffle Studios CEO Scott Albright and Chief Media Officer Duncan McClure to discuss the game’s official launch, their respective paths into the industry, bringing survival mechanics to life in VR, and the importance of App Lab to the game’s development. Read on for more details.

Scott Albright: My journey is quite diverse, blending a background in law enforcement and military service with a deep-rooted entrepreneurial spirit. At the age of 15, I launched an online gaming league that was sponsored by SEGA. This sparked a lifelong internal drive to create and innovate.

My passion for games traces back to my childhood when I eagerly awaited new gaming consoles every Christmas, starting with the NES. However, it was my encounter with VR at a Comic Con in 2019—specifically playing Arizona Sunshine—that truly opened new doors. I was instantly captivated by the immersive experience of VR. At Combat Waffle Studios Inc., I've been able to merge my diverse experiences and interests to create innovative and engaging gaming experiences.

Duncan McClure: I started in a completely different field—psychotherapy and counseling psychology, where I completed my master's degree. Though I was engaged in this profession, I always felt a bit like an imposter. My true calling was somewhere else.

My real passion always lay with gaming. This became unmistakably clear with the advent of VR, first the Forte VFX1 in 1995 and then particularly when the original Rift released in 2016. The first demo of that robot in Oculus First Contact almost had me in tears! It felt like the future of gaming had arrived, and I knew I had to be a part of it.

SA: My involvement in VR esports—particularly competing in Contractors for the esports team The Leftovers—played a pivotal role. It was during this time, amidst the heat of competition and teamwork, that the idea of creating a VR esports league began to take shape.

Our team's aspiration for more engaging and in-depth gaming experiences led to the conceptualization of Ghosts of Tabor. Recognizing the immense opportunity (and driven by my entrepreneurial spirit), I made the bold decision to close my talent agency, which I had successfully managed for several years. Within a month, I established Combat Waffle Studios Inc. This decision marked a significant turning point, allowing me to fully dedicate my efforts and resources to creating groundbreaking VR experiences and contributing to the growth and evolution of VR gaming.

DM: I dove headfirst into the world of competitive VR gaming as a member of The Leftovers. In the early days, we won championships in games like Pavlov, Contractors, and Pistol Whip. It was in The Leftovers that I met Scott, who was also moving to start up a VR Esports League. He invited me to help create videos for the league.

My work there led to an offer to do the same for Ghosts of Tabor, which was a dream come true. I have enormous appreciation for the opportunity Scott gave me. It felt like all the threads of my life—my background, my love for VR, my competitive experiences—all came together in this role. And as they say, the rest is history!

SA: Ghosts of Tabor is a hardcore survival extraction FPS, all about the thrill of making it out of the map alive with plenty of loot to stock up your bunker. You’ll face both NPCs and other players as adversaries—or maybe friends?—on your missions, so make sure you’re properly geared up when you go out on a scavenging hunt.

And remember, trust no one!

SA: Ghosts of Tabor situates itself firmly within the intense and evolving subgenre of survival extraction shooters. This genre—while relatively new in the grand timeline of the gaming industry—has rapidly gained popularity, particularly among PC gamers.

Our game faithfully adheres to the fundamental mechanics of survival extraction shooters. The core gameplay revolves around scavenging for resources and the exhilarating challenge of executing a successful extraction, all while navigating the unpredictable dynamics of encounters with other players. These interactions can range from cooperative to outright hostile, with the latter being more common.

Beyond the conventional framework, Ghosts of Tabor introduces additional layers of survival and strategic elements. Players engage in managing their bunker, crafting ammunition, leveling up traders, and progressing through the game in various ways. Ghosts of Tabor also includes VR-specific interactions that significantly enhance immersion. These elements come together to create a game that stands out distinctly from other shooters currently available for VR, offering a unique blend of tension, strategy, and immersive interaction.

SA: My favorite aspect of Ghosts of Tabor is undoubtedly the authentic and exhilarating weapon mechanics, which are a direct reflection of my passion for firearms and my experiences in the military. The weapon mechanics are meticulously designed to mirror their real-life counterparts.

What I particularly cherish about Ghosts of Tabor is how it challenges players to hone real skills. It’s about learning to control your body's natural reactions to excitement or pressure, much like in a military setting. This aspect requires players to develop a level of skill and composure that goes beyond typical gaming experiences. It’s this blend of realism and immersive gameplay that encapsulates my favorite part of Ghosts of Tabor.

DM: I absolutely love having to work for my loot—the thrill of risk vs. reward in a PvP scenario where success hinges on my abilities and decisions, all while watching my loot pile grow. It’s exhilarating. I've spent way too much time in my bunker, almost like a cave dragon hoarding gold, and I'm sure many of our players share the sentiment. It's not just about getting the loot. It's the journey and the hustle to get there.

SA: That was part of our strategy from the very beginning. It was one of the initial topics I discussed with our team, which at the time was much smaller. I've always been a firm believer in the potential of App Lab as the ideal launching platform for any groundbreaking title.

The pivotal role of community feedback and testing in our development process cannot be overstated. When we began this journey, we had a strong belief that we were creating something that a significant portion of the VR player base was yearning for. However, the level of enthusiasm and engagement we've seen has surpassed even our wildest dreams.

SA: Our approach has always been to maintain a close relationship with our player community. We're not just passively observing. We actively engage with our players on a daily basis. This interaction has been incredibly fruitful. We've not only heard but also implemented many of the community's suggestions into the game—focusing on the really impactful ones, of course. Their input, enthusiasm, and feedback are the driving forces that motivate us to continuously improve and push the boundaries of VR gaming.

So, yes, player feedback has been absolutely central to the game’s development. The community’s engagement and insights have helped us refine and evolve Ghosts of Tabor into what it is today.

DM: In the early days of Ghosts of Tabor, we were in a position where the game itself was still being fleshed out. Traditional gameplay footage for trailers wasn't really an option, but we wanted to showcase and capture the spirit of what we were creating. As the game developed, and especially as we prepared for store releases, I adopted a hybrid approach for our trailers, blending cinematic sequences with actual gameplay footage. This mix, to me, struck a fulfilling dynamic—offering viewers a taste of the in-headset experience while showcasing the game's immersive qualities in a vibrant way.

Transitioning smoothly between cinematic and gameplay segments has been key. It wasn't just about showing what the game looks like. It was about capturing the essence of playing it—the thrill, the excitement, the immersion.

This approach, combined with the incredible content our community and creators were producing in early access, helped paint a comprehensive picture of what Ghosts of Tabor offers. We’ve aimed to let the audience see through the eyes of the players and feel the heartbeat of the game.

SA: It began through a fortunate introduction by one of my employees, who was a friend at the time. He recognized the potential of what we were creating with Ghosts of Tabor and went above and beyond to connect me with publishers that could help us cross the finish line. Among these, Beyond Frames stood out, and I felt a strong inclination towards them from our very first interaction. When I met Ace St. Germain from Beyond Frames, I knew almost instantly that they were the right fit for us.

The working relationship with Beyond Frames has been nothing short of amazing since we signed with them. They stepped in at a crucial moment and provided the support we desperately needed. Without their involvement, Ghosts of Tabor might not have achieved its current status. The success and accolades of the game are as much theirs as they are ours.

SA: Our focus over the past few months has been on polishing, bug fixing, and fine-tuning the current mechanics of the game, but we’re far from done! Ghosts of Tabor will continue as a live-service game, and we’ll have plenty more to come in 2024.

We want to make sure we situate new players in the first few weeks, but soon after launch we’ll have a new major update ready to deploy to the game. We have brand-new and expanded maps, additional weapon mechanics and items, and new things for the bunker coming in the near future.

SA: Silent North is poised to be a remarkable game—one that I believe will even surpass Ghosts of Tabor. It transports players to a post-apocalyptic, zombie-infested Swiss Alps, where survival is a relentless challenge. In this world, players are not only battling the severe cold of the mountains and the constant threat of zombies but also competing with other players for vital resources.

Players can expect a game that balances challenge and accessibility, with mechanics that are straightforward yet deeply engaging. The immersive environment of the Swiss Alps, combined with the ever-looming zombie threat and resource competition, creates a uniquely thrilling experience. Silent North is still very early in development, but we’re excited to share more as we progress.

GRIM, our exclusive VR multiplayer game, presents an intense and immersive survival experience on Mars, a concept inspired by the popular game RUST. Just as RUST captivates players with its survival dynamics, we aimed to capture that essence and translate it into the immersive world of VR. Stranded on the treacherous Red Planet, GRIM challenges players to navigate a world filled with dangerous terrain and essential resources needed for survival.

Embracing the “no rules” survival philosophy seen in RUST, GRIM places players in situations where they must fend for themselves, crafting tools, armor, and weapons to establish their presence on Mars. This could involve peaceful cooperation with other survivors to build settlements—or engaging in more hostile interactions, like raiding bases for resources.

A key feature of GRIM, much like RUST, is complete freedom in base construction. Players can individually or collaboratively design their bases, ranging from secure fortifications to intricate traps, emphasizing resource gathering and territorial command.

In GRIM, we're striving to bring compelling survival and strategic elements to life in VR. Players are invited to test their resilience and strategic skills in an ever-evolving world, where survival is not just a choice but a battle against the unknown—and against other players. Like Silent North, GRIM is in development, with more sneak peeks to come.

Ghosts of Tabor is available now on the Meta Quest Store.