‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ VR Game ‘Empire City’ Unveils Lair Gameplay

Upcoming VR game “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Empire City” plans to focus on one part of the turtles’ lives that often gets overshadowed by the butt-kicking action in other “TMNT”-inspired games: time spent bonding with your brothers in your cozy lair in the sewers.

In a new gameplay teaser exclusive to Variety, which readers can view in the video above, “TMNT: Empire City” creative director Ace St Germain walks players through what the experience will be like in the lair when you strap on the VR headset and start playing as Raphael, Donatello, Leonardo or Michelangelo.

“You put the headset on and you wake up with three fingers in each hand, two toes on each foot and a shell on your back,” St. Germain says in a voiceover. “As a turtle, you need to be able to feel the world, pick up all the objects around you, take in the familiar aesthetics and be surrounded by your family. In all iterations of the world of ‘TMNT,’ the lair probably stands out as the most iconic location. Our goal was to make it feel like home. A place you can come back to time and time again after a long day of fighting the criminal element topside. A place you an relax, play games and hang out with your friends and family. And we can’t wait to get you into the shell so you too can love being a turtle.”

From Cortopia Studios, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Empire City” is set to release in 2026 for VR headsets. The game is coming at a time of resurgence in turtle power, as multiple other “TMNT” projects are in the works, and was made in consultation with Tom Waltz, writer on the iconic “Turtles” work, “The Last Ronin.”