A Brand-New Video Game Based on The Boys is Releasing Later This Month, But There's a Catch

The Boys: Trigger Warning, the first video game based on the hit, ultra-violent superhero series The Boys, is releasing on March 26 for Meta Quest 3. The game looks to bring the signature mix of dark satire, extreme violence, and corrupt, power-drunk superheroes that The Boys is known for to virtual reality. While players might’ve been hoping for a traditional console release, this iteration is taking a different approach.

The Boys was originally created by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson as a comic, but exploded in popularity after Amazon Studios and Eric Kirpke adapted the comic series for streaming in 2019. The multi-Emmy-winning show’s fifth and final season debuts on Prime Video on April 8. While the upcoming The Boys: Trigger Warning is the series’ first official video game release, Homelander, The Boys’ homicidal Superman character, was featured in Mortal Kombat 1 as a DLC character.

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The Boys: Trigger Warning Immerses Players in a Gruesome Power Fantasy

The Boys: Trigger Warning is being developed by award-winning Brazilian VR game studio ARVORE and published by Sony Pictures Virtual Reality. ARVORE announced the game’s March 26 release date in its most recent gameplay video, which also provided players with a look at what they can expect from the game. It is worth noting the game will initially be available on Meta Quest 3, but will also be released on PSVR2 in the future.

Who’s That Character?

Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.

Who’s That Character?

Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.

Easy (7.5s)Medium (5.0s)Hard (2.5s)Permadeath (2.5s)

The Boys: Trigger Warning seems to focus on stealth and brutal VR combat. Players will infiltrate Vought facilities, sneak past enemies, and use injectors filled with Temp V to access abilities typically only reserved for the series’ Supes. Players will use these abilities to rip the heads off of enemies, shoot lasers from their eyes, and slice through soldiers with crystal arm claws. Like the show and the comic before it, the game is intended for older audiences. Most players likely expected the first video game adaptation of The Boys to be on traditional consoles or PC, so the VR title could be surprising to some.

The Boys: Trigger Warning will feature a new protagonist, though ARVORE didn’t share many details about him other than that he has two young daughters and inadvertently becomes a Supe. Series regulars Laz Alonso, who plays Mother’s Milk, Colby Minifie, who plays Ashley Barret, and Jensen Ackles, who portrays Soldier Boy, will reprise their roles from the TV series for the VR game. The story of the game isn’t simply retelling the events of the show, either.

Along with new characters to follow, players will face off against new Supe antagonists in The Armstrongs, while also coming face to face with familiar series enemies like Homelander. Players will team up with the titular team, The Boys, to rescue and protect the main character’s family and uncover the dark secrets of Project Janice. Fans may be disappointed to learn Anthony Starr won’t reprise his role as Homelander for the game. In fact, Starr has spoken publicly about how, though bittersweet, he’s glad his time as Homelander is coming to an end.

While there hasn’t been much news regarding VR games in recent months, it is interesting that two of the most recent major VR releases have revolved around superhero power fantasies. For example, Marvel’s Deadpool VR features frenetic VR combat and is also a Meta Quest exclusive. Both series also focus on dark humor, hyper violence, and shocking moments, which could be why developers have opted to use VR to tell their stories. VR could amplify these moments by fully immersing the player in these characters.

At the same time, adapting a story-driven and heavily satirical series into VR could be an ambitious move. The humor and commentary are really what define The Boys, so the game’s success might hinge more on the writing and character performances rather than the gameplay. If The Boys: Trigger Warning can successfully capture both the franchise’s brutal action, violence, and satirical tone, it could become one of the more interesting licensed VR titles in recent years. With The Boys preparing to air its final season in April, The Boys: Trigger Warning could also provide series fans one more way to dive into the chaotic, twisted world of The Boys before the show’s conclusion.