What Downpour Interactive does

Downpour Interactive is a San Francisco-based, privately-held virtual reality game studio founded in 2015 and known for its single core product, Onward — a Mil-Sim paced tactical multiplayer shooter built for VR head-mounted displays. The game is built on the Unity engine (with a Vulkan rendering update in 2023) and ships across Steam/SteamVR for PCVR and the Meta Quest/Oculus store for Quest devices, with crossplay between platforms and a cloud-save system for loadouts and calibrations.

The technical surface spans realistic ballistic trajectories, an overhauled weapon interaction system with per-weapon operating procedures, an AI refactor for Co-Op modes, a custom content SDK enabling community-built maps, and platform parity work between PCVR and Quest. Downpour monetizes exclusively through one-time game purchases on platform app stores, with no subscription or in-app purchases; distribution is purely digital via Steam and the Quest/Oculus storefronts, supplemented by a deep community program — Discord, monthly developer Sitreps, a VRML competitive league, charity events, and an SDK-enabled modding community.

Following Update 2.0 in March 2025, the studio announced in June 2025 that the DPI team had permanently joined sister studio Camouflaj, with Onward remaining on shelves but receiving no further developer support for new content or non-critical bug fixes. No external funding rounds, enterprise customers, or B2B revenue lines are evidenced; the business is a single-title, consumer-only, end-of-development VR franchise now transitioning to maintenance under a parent studio.

Name

Downpour Interactive

Legal name

Downpour Interactive

Website

https://downpourinteractive.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Downpour Interactive is a privately-held VR game studio that developed Onward, a Mil-Sim tactical multiplayer shooter for PCVR and Meta Quest headsets. Following Update 2.0, the team permanently joined sister studio Camouflaj in June 2025, placing the title in maintenance with no new content.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Game Sales: One-time purchase digital game sales through Steam (PCVR) and Meta Quest/Oculus store (Quest platform). Players purchase the game once and own it permanently with all future updates included.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Downpour Interactive develops and sells Onward, a Mil-Sim paced tactical multiplayer virtual reality shooter for VR head-mounted displays. Players use coordination, communication, and marksmanship in online infantry combat with limited respawns, no HUDs, and no crosshairs. The product is delivered as a one-time digital game purchase on Steam (PCVR) and the Meta Quest/Oculus store, with all modes, weapons, maps, and future updates included.

Product overview

Downpour Interactive's primary offering is Onward, a single unified VR Mil-Sim tactical shooter game. The game provides multiple gameplay modes including competitive multiplayer modes (Uplink, Escort, Assault), cooperative PVE modes (Hunt, Evac, Mercenary Mode, Retrieval), and social game modes (Gun Game, One in the Chamber). Players can practice in the Shooting Range, create custom maps using the SDK, and customize loadouts with cloud saving across platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Onward A Mil-Sim paced tactical multiplayer virtual reality shooter for VR head-mounted displays. Players use coordination, communication, and marksmanship to complete objectives in online infantry combat with limited respawns, no HUDs, and no crosshairs. Available on Steam (PCVR) and Meta Quest/Oculus stores as a one-time purchase.

Quantifiable outcome

• Served as staple FPS in VR community for over 8 years
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• CamouflajcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 June 2025In June 2025, the Downpour Interactive (DPI) team permanently joined their sister studio Camouflaj. This merger combines the development teams following the conclusion of Onward Update 2.0 development. The DPI team will continue creating new VR experiences with Camouflaj.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Vankrupt Games: Developer of Pavlov VR, the closest direct competitor to Onward in the VR tactical/mil-sim shooter category. Both titles target hardcore VR FPS enthusiasts seeking realistic weapon handling, multiplayer matches, and modding/community content support.
• Cave Interactive: Developer of Contractors VR, a leading Quest and PCVR multiplayer tactical shooter. Shares Onward's target customer (hardcore VR mil-sim fans) and similar monetization model (one-time purchase on Quest/Steam).
• XREAL Games: Developer of Zero Caliber: Reloaded and other VR tactical shooters. Competes head-to-head with Onward in the VR mil-sim niche, with cross-platform PCVR/Quest releases and realistic weapon mechanics.
• BigBox VR: Developer of Population: One, a VR multiplayer shooter published under Meta. Targets a similar VR FPS audience on Quest/PCVR with team-based combat, though with a more arcade/battle-royale tilt than Onward's mil-sim focus.

Others

• Camouflaj: Sister studio that absorbed the Downpour Interactive team in June 2025. While not a direct competitor (Camouflaj focuses on narrative stealth games like République), it now controls Onward's IP and team resources, making it the most strategically connected peer.
• Schell Games: Larger independent game studio with a significant VR division (I Expect You To Die, Until You Fall). Comparable as a long-running studio successfully operating in the premium VR shooter/action niche on Quest and PCVR.

Emerging players

• Resolution Games: VR-focused studio behind Demeo, Blaston, and other multiplayer VR titles. Comparable as a successful indie VR studio monetizing through Quest/Steam stores, though its titles skew social/casual rather than tactical mil-sim.
• nDreams: Independent VR game studio and publisher (Far Cry VR, Ghostbusters VR). Comparable as a mid-sized VR-native developer/publisher with multi-title output and platform relationships with Meta and Sony.
• Fast Travel Games: VR-only studio publishing titles like Cities VR and Wraith: The Oblivion - Afterlife. Comparable as a boutique VR-first developer targeting premium Quest/PSVR2/SteamVR storefronts with limited team size.
• Combat Waffle Studios: Developer of Ghosts of Tabor, a VR mil-sim extraction shooter. Emerging direct competitor in the hardcore VR mil-sim segment on Quest, with active live-ops development that contrasts with Onward's maintenance mode.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/downpourint
• Facebookfacebook.com/OnwardTheGame
• Instagraminstagram.com/onwardthegame

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Downpour Interactive