Vertigo 2: DLC for the popular VR shooter will no longer be released in March
Bad news for Vertigo 2 fans: The eagerly awaited story add-on Into the Aether will be released a month later than planned.
Solo developer Zach Tsiakalis-Brown announced that Into the Aether, the anticipated story DLC for VR shooter Vertigo 2, will launch a month later than planned. Originally scheduled for March, the expansion will now arrive sometime in April, though no specific date has been set.
What to expect in Into the Aether
The DLC continues the story from Vertigo 2, where protagonist Brian inadvertently helped the Void delegation's attempted Earth invasion. Now fighting alongside Kauboi, a renegade Realmwalker, Brian sees an opportunity in the delegation's chaos to launch a previously impossible rescue mission.
Players will venture with Brian into what's described as the oldest and most mysterious universe, facing new enemies and collecting Void artifacts that unlock paths and boost their capabilities. The expansion introduces fresh weapons and tools to the game's arsenal.
The DLC package includes several digital bonuses: a short story titled "Stay out of the Aether" that predates the Vertigo series, an Aether map showing known regions, Planck scientists' reports on the Aether, and new concept artwork. Collectors can grab a physical edition with additional extras through Zulubo.com.
A one-man show with Half-Life DNA
Vertigo 2 has earned praise for bringing old-fashioned, straightforward fun back to VR shooters. The game deliberately eschews modern conventions like crafting systems and waypoint markers, instead focusing on challenging combat encounters with refined weapon handling, puzzle-solving, and quirky humor that pays homage to Half-Life.
This approach makes sense given Tsiakalis-Brown's background — he previously worked on Half-Life: Alyx before developing Vertigo 2 almost entirely solo, only bringing in minimal outside help for select artistic and gameplay elements. The result rivals the quality of much larger studio productions.
The base game launched in September 2023 on Steam, supporting all major PC VR headsets, with a Playstation VR 2 version also available.
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