‘The Flip’ Unleashes Hordes of Zombies On the Quest Platform, Out Today

Loosen up and look alive because The Flip unleashes massive hordes of zombies onto your Quest headset today. This all-new co-op shooter features an innovative playlist system for its levels that encourage quick drop-in sessions across a variety of maps and randomized modifiers that help ensure there’s always something fresh in the queue.

Hopefully you’re a good shot and quick on the draw—the zombies coming for you in The Flip don’t exactly wait until you’re ready before they charge towards you at full speed. Take it from me, someone who played three rounds of the game pre-release last week: Once that chopper leaves the base camp, you’ll hardly have time to breathe between the onslaughts.

We sat down with San Shepherd, Creative Director on The Flipto learn more.

San Shepherd:The Flip is an irreverent twist on the traditional co-op zombie shooter genre where we re-imagined the average console experience as a rapid, drop-in drop-out VR game. Think about what makes the real core of a classic zombie game—the fear, the panic, the sense of being overwhelmed with wave after wave of enemies. We took that and rolled with it. No frills, no messing around you just pick up the headset, turn on, and blow hoards of zombies away with your friends. The whole experience is designed to be easy to drop into without complex mechanics, so it's easy to pick up, and utter carnage to play. It’s like slipping into your favorite PJs—if your PJs were armed to the teeth and could dismember zombies en masse.

SS: In our universe, “The Flip” is what survivors call the catastrophic event that transformed a bustling city into a nightmarish battlefield of human survivors fighting against the onslaught of hordes of nano-infected zombies that just want to suck your brain juices out of your skull. Basically, it’s the moment when everything went to hell, literally, and spectacularly. The world just went and got utterly flipped up.

SS: While the undead charm of classics like Left 4 Dead sparked our initial inspiration, we’ve carved out a niche with a universe that’s more tech-horror than traditional zombie. Think inter-dimensional nano-bot infected undead over slow-moving “brain” mumbling corpses. Our Fiends are faster, meaner, and come with tech upgrades - because in our world the apocalypse isn’t some 1960s remake. We've taken a pinch of Left 4 Dead, a dash of British irreverence, and a healthy dollop of Helldivers’ mayhem, and mashed it up into the kind of co-op VR magic that makes you oh so happy we disabled friendly fire. Our zombies don’t just moan and shuffle; they come at you with the enthusiasm of Leeroy Jenkins storming a buffet of brains in Blackrock Spire like it's chicken dinner time.

SS: We intend to continuously spice things up by introducing new mission modifiers, and entirely new levels—the modifiers can be changed live on the servers without any updates. New levels will come with larger game updates. Think of these server updates as a constant stream of chaos and terror to keep you on your toes. New mission modifiers and levels will drop in the form of in-game events, where the most successful ones get put into wider rotation after. Our goal is to ensure that every play feels fresh, so we invented a sort of “mission DJ” that mixes up tracks to keep the dance floor alive—only our dance floor is filled with zombies, and the beats are the sounds of your friends laughing and screaming for help.

New levels are already in development as well. Some of them are entirely new routes through Flip City, and some are conjoined with longer ultra-mega-insane hardcore levels that will make you sweat blood and beg for your mommy. We’ll release these with the first update post launch.

SS: In The Flip, progression is about enhancing the collective experience without segregating players. Everyone has access to all the game play content from the start—we’re of the inclusive mindset not exclusive. So while everyone can access the same missions, mission difficulty adjusts based on the most experienced player in your group, ensuring you’re always challenged and never yawning. With thousands of mission combinations and a mix of intensity levels, every session is uniquely electrifying, but always accessible to everyone. Your XP unlocks new avatars as you progress, so you literally wear your experience. But when it comes to gameplay, it’s all there for everyone from the get go.

SS: Absolutely! Players should brace for dynamic missions where everything from visibility, to zombie toughness, bullet trails, weapon availability, weapon and zombie type, and even your own health can change dramatically. Imagine stepping into a fog-filled arena where zombies that only take damage from headshots, or a nightmarish scenario where your ammo clips are severely limited and your enemies are all only the faster agile runners. It’s a wild ride where no two missions feel the same, crafted to keep you guessing and engaged. Each mission will require its own personal “favorite” tactical approach—simple moment to moment tactics like die or survive and which weapon combo to use. Then add to that the special mission events we schedule for weekends and you’ve got a flippin' mission DJ setup. It's a never ending mashup of zombie bashing. Some missions are less relentless than others, the only thing you can guarantee is merciless carnage!

SS: We engineered The Flip from the ground up for the Quest 2, focusing on maximizing what we call the 'bodycount' tech. This means tech that prioritizes gameplay and enemies over everything else. Our goal was to ensure you're always on the verge of screaming and whispering to yourself, “Oh my god that's a lot of zombies…” under your breath. And if I might say so myself… I think we succeeded. You’ll see hordes that fill your field of view, pushing what's possible on standalone VR to the limit. We scale the number of zombies “on-screen” with your progression—so when you start you’ll see between 8-12 mildly terrifying zombies at a time… but as you progress you’ll get to about 40-50 undead bearing down on you, and find yourself in need of a whole new heart. Yes… that’s 40-50 zombies charging at you and your friends in VR. It’s next level bodycount baby!

SS: Expect a continuous roll-out of gameplay mods, enhanced fog and lighting options, and an array of new level combinations. We're also investigating upping the ante with more terrifying zombie types and longer mission lengths. In The Flip, it’s about keeping the apocalypse fresh and thrilling with new reasons to scream in terror while your friends leave you behind as they leave in the exfil chopper without you.

SS: My favorite has to be the 'Ultra Hardcore Red Mist Night Mode’ because it’s both visually stunning and spine-chillingly terrifying. A close second is the 'Orange Mist Dual Grenade Launcher' mission nicknamed Dook Nook since it boasts expanded grenade launcher ammo clips and no other weapons. For those feeling brave, all of our 'Ultra Hardcore’ modes turn the dial up to three hundred and eleven, delivering an unforgiving test of your zombie survival skills. In those modes, all thoughts of chivalry and waiting for your friends before boarding the chopper dissipate faster than liquid in your bladder.

SS: Steer clear of the ultra-hardcore missions until you’ve got a few runs under your belt. And remember, in The Flip, hesitation is deadly. Keep shooting, and when in doubt, shoot some more. And don't forget: BRING YOUR FRIENDS!

SS: You can find us at our website, on YouTube, in our Discord server, as well as on Reddit, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X, and Twitch.