The Illumination studio has shared new details about its long-awaited video game “VR-Kanojo,” a virtual reality experience that promises to offer players the possibility of having a virtual girlfriend. The game has been confirmed to launch in February 2025, which has caused quite a stir in the community of fans of romantic simulation titles. This new installment follows in the footsteps of VR Kanojo, originally released by Illusion in 2018, a pioneering game in this genre.
Illusion, which was one of the most influential studios in the development of immersive simulation experiences for adults, closed its operations in August 2023, leaving many fans of titles like “VR Kanojo” or “Summer Vacation” with little expectations of seeing new releases. However, several former members of Illusion formed new studios, such as ILLGAMES and Illumination, the latter being responsible for VR-Kanojo. Illumination is primarily made up of former key members of the original VR Kanojo team, including notable names like producer Yunayuna.
In this new installment, the development team has decided to differentiate its title by adding a hyphen to the English name, going from VR Kanojo to VR-Kanojo. Meanwhile, in Japanese, they have modified the title to “VR na Kanojo”, adding the particle “na” and replacing the katakana writing with kanji, a stylistic decision that seeks to give it a more formal and traditional touch. In addition, the first visual of the main heroine, Yuuhi Sakura, has been revealed, generating great expectation among players who want to know more about this new “virtual girlfriend.”

Illumination has taken advantage of the community enthusiasm by launching a crowdfunding campaign on Campfire that began on September 2, 2024. So far, the campaign has been a resounding success, raising more than 16.95 million yen (about $113,650) as of October 15, 2024, which is more than eight times its initial goal of 2 million yen. With this success, the campaign has surpassed its latest stretch goal of 15 million yen, which will allow for the inclusion of an Omurice food event and a maid costume for the heroine.

The possibility of having a “virtual girlfriend” has been the center of attention among fans' comments:
- «I also want to meet her».
- «Isn't this the same as PSVR?».
- «I want to try something like this, but VR is expensive haha. Also, I'm afraid of buying the wrong equipment and losing money, so I don't dare».
- «The detail of how the skirt folds with the pocket is too realistic».
- «Is this a different name from Illusion? Wasn't VR Kanojo on the other one?».
- «I can finally have a pretty girlfriend».
- «Isn't it a lot like Summer Lesson?».
- «Hmm, okay».
Despite the comparisons, “VR-Kanojo” is emerging as one of the most anticipated experiences in the romantic simulation genre. Illumination has proven that, with the support of the community and the dedication of their team, they can continue the legacy of Illusion and deliver a renewed experience that promises to captivate players.
Fountain: Otakomu