VR

Cortopia Takes Another Trip Down the Rabbit Hole with ‘Escaping Wonderland’ VR Game in 2024
Cortopia Takes Another Trip Down the Rabbit Hole with ‘Escaping Wonderland’ VR Game in 2024 2560 1440 Cortopia Studios

Spiritual successor to critically acclaimed ‘Down the Rabbit Hole’ set for release on Meta Quest this year

STOCKHOLM, JUNE 26, 2024  — Get ready for scuffed knees and high teas, because Beyond Frames Entertainment and Cortopia Studios is taking players back to Wonderland this year – and this time we’ll see just how deep this rabbit hole goes. With today’s release of a project teaser trailer, the company has officially announced that Escaping Wonderland, the latest game from the team behind 2020’s multi-award winning VR adventure game Down the Rabbit Hole, is in development with a target release date of 2024. 

Set in the same Lewis Carroll-inspired world as Cortopia’s earlier game, Escaping Wonderland tells an all-new story with a new hero and a fresh cast of characters, making it a perfect entry point for those new to the series as well as Down the Rabbit Hole veterans. Cortopia Studios, a wholly owned Beyond Frames Entertainment studio, was also responsible for the critically acclaimed VR hits Wands and Wands Alliances.

“Down the Rabbit Hole has amassed a large following of fans over the last four years, and those fans have been hotly anticipating a new adventure. In fact, it’s the most frequent question we get asked,” said Maeva Sponbergs, Beyond Frames Entertainment’s Head of Publishing. “With Escaping Wonderland we’re delivering more of what players already love in the original, while providing a more substantial experience – but we’re also starting fresh with an all new story so that everyone can join in the fun. It’s not a sequel, so much as an all-new adventure in Wonderland.”

Using the unique diorama perspective established in Down the Rabbit Hole, Escaping Wonderland will feature gameplay that focuses on exploration through a world filled with whimsy and wonder, brain-teasers that will make you mad as a hatter, and a silly sense of fun that will leave players grinning ear-to-ear like a Cheshire cat as they encounter characters from the children’s literary classic Alice in Wonderland. 

Set to debut exclusively on Meta Quest later this year, Escaping Wonderland is now available to wishlist and pre-order on the Meta Quest Store, with pre-orders receiving a 10% discount from the $19.99 launch price. 

To keep up with the latest announcements from Beyond Frames Entertainment follow them on X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook, and https://beyondframes.com/.

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PRESS KIT

Press kit for Escaping Wonderland can be found here: https://bit.ly/3KXgypd

Press Contact: Jim Squires, press@beyondframes.com

Beyond Frames Publishing: Maeva Sponbergs, Head of Publishing, hello@beyondframes.com

ABOUT BEYOND FRAMES

Headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, Beyond Frames is an XR-focused publisher with its development studios Cortopia, Moon Mode and partner studio Odd Raven. Offering creative and technical consulting, funding, marketing and publishing services, Beyond Frames partners with studios creating amazing XR products such as Ghosts of Tabor (Combat Waffle Studios), Outta Hand (Capricia Productions), ARK and ADE (Castello Inc.), Silhouette (Team Panoptes) and Mixture (Played With Fire), Beyond Frames Entertainment AB (publ) is listed on the Swedish Spotlight Stock Market, ISIN: SE0011614965.

ABOUT CORTOPIA STUDIOS

Cortopia Studios is the wholly owned subsidiary of Beyond Frames Entertainment responsible for the creation of award-winning virtual reality games such as Wands, Wands Alliances, and Down the Rabbit Hole. Their next game, Escaping Wonderland, provides an all new journey in the Down the Rabbit Hole universe.

Wands Alliances: Uprising – Patch 1.1
Wands Alliances: Uprising – Patch 1.1 2560 1440 Cortopia Studios

STOCKHOLM, Sweden — September 28, 2022 — Today, Beyond Frames Entertainment and Cortopia announced its latest VR game Wands® Alliances is coming to Steam on October 5 with a brand new update: Uprising. The update, released at the same time for both Meta Quest 2 and Steam VR, features cross-platform compatibility, and Wands Alliances: Uprising introduces  a brand-new, fast-paced game mode, “Team Deathmatch,” as well as numerous new features and fixes, including three new spells.

NEW MODE: There is unrest in London and battles have turned into daily skirmishes for survival – a fight for the world. This is the Watchers’ moment of Uprising. “Team Deathmatch,”  the new mode in Wands Alliances that can be played on all maps of the game. In this sped-up game mode, cheat death by respawning again and again, and play strategically by changing characters and spells during respawn. Claim victory by being the first team to get 25 kills or to have the most kills when time runs out.

NEW SPELLS: Three new spells are coming in the Uprising update, one for each class. The Revelator spell spawns an object that scans the nearby area for enemies, marking all within range.The Northwind spell inflicts minor damage, and disarms its victim.The Weeping Willow spell acts as both damage and anti-healing spell. 

MORE UPDATES: Other major changes include new challenges to unlock spells and titles; new cosmetic rewards for player avatars; and various quality of life updates.

DEVELOPER LIVESTREAM: With too many updates to pack into one release, learn more straight from the development team in a livestream today, Wednesday, September 28 at 12 noon PDT/3 PM EDT/9 PM CET at twitch.tv/beyondframesent

About Wands Alliances: The game takes the original high-paced magic and wand-wielding franchise to the next level with team-based 3v3 competitive gameplay, set in an alternate Victorian era London. The game encourages players to utilize the full room scale play area to duck and dodge opponent attacks. The game was developed by Beyond Frames’ Cortopia Studios. 

Wielders can read more on https://www.wandsalliances.com 

Join the discussion on Wands Alliances:

https://wandsalliances.com/discord/

https://www.facebook.com/wandsgame

About Beyond Frames Entertainment: 

Beyond Frames is one of the leading publishing partners for current and emerging XR studios around the world. Our mission is to evolve and expand the entertainment landscape in Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality (VR, AR and MR). Through our own studios & fantastic partners, we constantly push ourselves to move the bar of innovative gameplay, creative storytelling and technical advancements in the XR field.

Having already found success with WANDS, Carly and the Reaperman, the critically acclaimed Down the Rabbit Hole, and Spacefolk City, Beyond Frames pushes the boundaries of VR, AR and MR games through new paths and approaches to expand and evolve the XR industry. 

Headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, Beyond Frames is an XR focused publisher with its development studios Cortopia, Moon Mode and partner studio Odd Raven. Through creative and technical consulting, funding and publishing services, Beyond Frames partners with studios to make amazing XR products. To learn more visit: https://beyondframes.com/ 

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Cortopia and Beyond Frames reveals “Wands Alliances” to launch on June 30; wishlist for Meta Quest 2 today
Cortopia and Beyond Frames reveals “Wands Alliances” to launch on June 30; wishlist for Meta Quest 2 today 2560 1440 Cortopia Studios

New Details Announced for the Magical Mayhem and Wand Wielding Action of the 3v3 Team-based Multiplayer Competitive Virtual Reality Game 

STOCKHOLM, Sweden — June 1, 2022 — Today, Cortopia Studios and Beyond Frames Entertainment announced that their newest VR game Wands® Alliances from its studio Cortopia is launching on June 30. Wands Alliances is now available to add to your Meta Quest 2 wishlist here: https://www.oculus.com/experiences/quest/3637780062900902

Wands Alliances will take the original high-paced magic and wand-wielding franchise to the next level with team-based 3v3 competitive gameplay, set in an alternate Victorian era London. The game encourages players to utilize the full room scale play area to duck and dodge opponent attacks. 

View the Wands Alliances launch trailer here: https://youtu.be/qXJ6lJxsvwg 

Wands Alliances is the spiritual successor to the original VR magic dueling experience, Wands. In Wands Alliances, two teams of three choose their characters and customize their battle kits to challenge other wielders in wand to wand combat. Tactical teleportation to traverse the levels and dynamic movement make this a VR experience that will challenge seasoned duelists, and unlock the hidden talents of the wielder within.

Take up your wands. Summon your allies. Destroy your enemies. Starting June 30, 2022.

Wielders can read more on https://www.wandsalliances.com 

Join the discussion on Wands Alliances:

https://wandsalliances.com/discord/

https://twitter.com/WandsGame

https://www.facebook.com/wandsgame

Down the Rabbit Hole 2nd Anniversary
Down the Rabbit Hole 2nd Anniversary 2560 1440 Cortopia Studios

Greetings, fairy tale adventurers!

They say that time flies, and when you’re chasing bowtie-wearing rabbits, solving puzzles and dodging an eccentric queen who wants your head it’s definitely true.

It’s been two years since we released Down the Rabbit Hole, and it’s become our most successful game to date. To celebrate that, we’re cutting the price in half, Queen style. Between March 26th and April 1st, Down the Rabbit Hole is 50 % off on Steam and Viveport! We also want to thank you on a personal level by providing a unique artwork inspired by the game, as well as a poem to go with it. We hope you like them. Feel free to download the image and use it as a wallpaper.

See you on the other side of the hole!

Dear Diary,

My life is so plain, so bland, ordinary
Allow me therefore to make an enquiry.
A world with true wonders, some albeit scary
Would it be wrong to go there entirely?

A rabbit in a tailcoat and bowtie? How odd!
And below there’s a huge caterpillar
My newly found friend is a card? Oh, dear God
That 4 ½ is a killer!

The Queen wants my head, sent her guards to attack
Do call me mad, but we’re all mad down here
I ran for my life, but my head is intact
Waived goodbye to the cat, grinning wide, ear to ear

Wonderland, oh wonderland, I truly miss thee
Come weekend I will go
Down the Rabbit Hole is where you’ll find me
If you want to join let me know

Download Wallpaper

Cortopia unleashes magical mayhem in Wands Alliances, coming to Meta Quest 2
Cortopia unleashes magical mayhem in Wands Alliances, coming to Meta Quest 2 2560 1440 Cortopia Studios

3v3 MULTIPLAYER ACTION AND ROOM SCALE GAMEPLAY IN SPIRITUAL SUCCESSOR TO WANDS; ARRIVING FIRST HALF OF 2022

Today we are super happy to announce that we are bringing magic mayhem to Meta Quest 2 with our newest VR game Wands® Alliances! Wands Alliances will take the original high paced magic and wand wielding franchise to the next level with team-based 3v3 gameplay, set in an Victorian era London. 

”We wanted to challenge ourselves to find a room scale gameplay mechanic in a PvP game, whereas most other titles in the genre deliver a more stationary play style. We found the Wands universe to be the right path and we have worked really hard to bring 3v3 magical battles to VR in a completely new package. We’re finally getting ready to launch Wands Alliances in 2022, almost 6 years after Wands in 2016 and I cannot wait to start playing it with the wider VR community.” said Ricky Helgesson, co-founder of Beyond Frames and Head of Design at Cortopia.

Players will need to strategically plan their loadouts and tactically utilize their play space and covers to achieve victory against their opponents.

View the Wands Alliances teaser trailer here:

We will reveal more about the evolution of the Wands franchise in the months leading up to the release. Wielders can read more on https://www.wandsgame.com/ and join in on the discussion on Discord!

Join our Discord!

Spacefolk City Reveal
Spacefolk City Reveal 2560 768 Cortopia Studios

We are so happy to announce that Moon Mode, our sister studio revealed Spacefolk City! 

Spacefolk City is a new city simulator game for virtual reality, with a humorous, quirky and eccentric vibe.
It is an approachable take on the city-building genre. Players can construct a floating city in free space, and enjoy the tactile sensation of hand-placing buildings at any orientation to create unusual and unique layouts thanks to virtual reality. 

There is very few casual, accessible city simThe Spacefolk inhabits a solar system where the sun is close to going supernova. Solar flares and other dangerous solar activity have resulted in the destruction of Spacefolk settlements around the system, leaving many Spacefolk without a home. Wandering Spacefolk arrives in the player’s new settlement and the player must help them build a new city and eventually construct a solution to allow everyone to escape the solar system.

Spacefolk all have an Energy attribute, which decreases as they work for you, and is replenished at their homes. They also have an Interest, which is indicated by their head type. When you build them Facilities that match their Interest, you charge up their Interest attribute, which gives each species a special ability (such as walking fast, building fast, carrying more, etc.)

The city’s inhabitants each have their own interests and abilities which influence the player’s strategy and creates a fun challenge in organizing the city’s layout effectively. Cities can be decorated with a range of different absurd objects and items.

Coming soon on Oculus Quest, Rift and Steam VR.

INTERVIEW WITH MICAËL AUDET
INTERVIEW WITH MICAËL AUDET 1080 1080 Cortopia Studios

Get the best tips and tricks from our greatest Wands Champion, Micaël Audet.

At the beginning of this season, we shared the history and usage of 5 of our spells, including the Devil’s Split. Getting closer to the end of this season, we wanted to share tips and tricks on how to battle. What better way to get these insights from our Wands Champion in many Wands events, Micaël Audet.

Micaël Audet is from the province of Quebec in Canada and has been playing Wands since 2019. Despite being a Wands Champion, he is also a full-time paramedic and real estate investor.

Want to learn how to use wands and successfully battle in magic duels? Read Micael’s interview below!

How long have you been playing Wands?

I’ve been playing Wands for the first time on my birthday on January 13th 2019 on the Oculus Go

What was your first impression when you played Wands?

My first impression of the game was how great the community is. I realized that there are tons of stuff to learn and good thing I made friends on the first day I played and had a lot of people showing me how the game and the spells work. I’ve played several games in VR and Wands community is definitely THE BEST.

What are your favourite spells and character?

My favorite character is definitely the Assassin. I like how calm he looks on the picture frame and the color of his clothes is perfect for camouflage in Ortus Station and Sanctum of Sahir. I do not have a favorite spell since I like to play and getting better with all of them. Most of the spells I hated in the past, now I love them because I’ve learned how to master them. If there is one spell that I think must be the hardest to master and my favorite because of the amount of discipline and skills it takes to use: it would be Blood bolts.

What do you like the most about the game?

What I like the most about Wands is that it is a game of millions of possibilities that requires a lot of strategic thinking in a very short time. You have to analyze and react so quickly that it becomes almost a super instinct. It’s the only game I’ve ever played in VR that made my heartbeat as fast with an incredible rush of adrenaline.

You have been the champion for so many events, would you like to share some tricks and tips for our players?

First Tip I would give anyone is … Watch my youtube videos 🙂 I’ve put so much knowledge there for anyone to become a Champion! But here are some quick tips I can give you :
1. Avoid getting hit
2. Always make sure you have more Mana than your opponent
3. Learn how to grab the pickups while dodging projectiles or while shielding.
4. And my #1 advice is: USE the snap turn button to make quick 180 degree turns. This will increase your speed in the game because you can teleport and turn at the same time so when you land on the tile you are already facing in the direction you want to face without moving your feet.

You have also created great content on your YouTube channel, would you like to share with us your favourite video about Wands?

Here is one of my favorite videos I’ve made because of the slow-motion and the explanations I give that helps new players to understand how deep the game can be. The cool thing is the last part of the video when I replay the match without the slow-motion and then you realize how fast the game really is.
https://youtu.be/ZC7lzf57FK

Would you like to share anything else with the payers?

Here is a Portrait of the Assassin I received after winning Season 20.

Are you ready? Equip your wand with a wide variety of spells and battle other wielders for fame, power and glory in the realms of The Beyond. See you there!

Cortopia’s July Newsletter
Cortopia’s July Newsletter 2560 1440 Cortopia Studios

“The VR paradigm of this game is really unique and interesting.”

If you always wondered who Michael’s favourite character is, or what his first thought of the game was, this interview is for you! 

We had the chance to talk to Michael Gordon Shapiro, Down the Rabbit Hole’s music composer, about some fun questions. Check out this video and hear what Michael thinks of Down the Rabbit Hole, the characters and what difficulties he had composing the game’s music!

Wands’ 24th Season Starts Now!

The 24th season is live, waiting for you to show your best spell combinations. Speaking of spells, in July, we’ll have a weekly spell series article, providing you with valuable tips on using and combining the spells. They might be helpful for you to prepare for this season.

The 24th season starts on the 15th of July and will end on the 1st of September. Prepare, duel, and become the Season Champion!

Check out the previous season winners on our wiki!

Welcome To Cortopia!

Please welcome Erik Johansson to the Cortopia team!

Meet Erik, our UI and Graphic Designer! 😃

Erik brings us a fresh perspective and new ideas in art. He likes to hang out with his family and play any Star Wars related games.

5thAnniversary

Cortopia Celebrates 5th Anniversary
Cortopia Celebrates 5th Anniversary 1200 630 Cortopia Studios

Reflecting on five years of VR innovation! 

We at Cortopia Studios, the award-winning VR game Wands developer, are celebrating five years of success and driving innovation in the VR games market. 

“Today marks five years of pushing the boundaries of VR entertainment for Cortopia,” said Ricky Helgesson, our CEO and co-founder of Beyond Frames and Head of Studio at Cortopia Studios. “Gaming and entertainment continue to drive the growth of virtual reality, and our award-winning mobile VR game, Wands, was just the beginning for us. We are very excited about what’s next for our studio and the industry as a whole.”

Under parent company Beyond Frames, Cortopia Studios has fully dedicated itself to AR and VR gaming and has been since its inception.

In addition to exciting new game announcements in the near future, we continue to push the technical aspect of our top-rated game, Down the Rabbit Hole, into a stunning 120Hz, one of only a handful of VR games to do so and allowing for an unparalleled level of immersion.

To celebrate our 5th anniversary we wanted to share with you some fun facts about us. We hope you like them as we do!

  • Cortopia used to be a part of Univrses, a Computer Vision and Deep Learning company that wanted a demo for their latest tech. The demo turned out to be pretty fun so it was released as a standalone game as Wands for the GearVR on August 18, 2016
  • Our name was NUX for a while but we had to change it since it was already in use by a French company
  • One of the suggested company names was “Hills with legs”, but we ended up to Cortopia
  • Cortopia has two office dogs Bobo (aka. bobocopter) and Purjolöksson (aka. Purjo, Purjonn, Pelegrino, räkan, fröken lök, posthövet)

Meet Bobo

Meet Purjolöksson

Meet The Team

The celebration continues! We will celebrate across our social media platforms on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram a Giveaway with prizes of custom collective t-shirts and stickers. 

Wands on Oculus Quest!
Wands on Oculus Quest! 1920 1080 Cortopia Studios

At long last, something a lot of people have been waiting for: Wands comes to Oculus Quest!

Dodge spells with 6DOF tracking and never again worry about getting tangled up in your cables.

Wands on Oculus Quest includes an AI opponent that gets better as your own skills improve.

Buy now: https://www.oculus.com/experiences/quest/2096339947076151

Learn more: https://www.wandsgame.com/

Join the community:  https://discordapp.com/invite/wands

 

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