ZIX Gets A 'Foundation'-al Update While Devs Announce New Free-To-Play Spinoff

Hidden IO’s latest update to ZIX upgrades the Unity engine to push the game forward while its new free-to-play spinoff aims to grow its player base.

Neon-themed co-op roguelite ZIX was hitting performance ceilings, according to Hidden IO, limiting its abilities to increase enemy counts and the overall pace of the game. The new Foundation update upgrades the Unity engine, bringing “meaningfully better” performance and enabling higher enemy counts and more intense encounters on each run.

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In the dev post, Hidden IO also confirmed it is working on Gogo Dojo, a new free-to-play title designed to showcase the best of ZIX’s gameplay style in an easier, more accessible setting. Pre-alpha playtesting for Gogo Dojo is said to start ‘soon’ in Hidden IO’s Discord.

Explaining why it is developing a free game, Hidden IO stated “ZIX lives or dies by how many people play it. We can’t sustain development without players, and the current VR landscape is tough. Many studios are struggling, and we’re not immune to that reality.”

The Foundation update is said to set the stage to expand ZIX in the future, including a revamped progression system and expanded build variety.

ZIX is available now in Early Access on Quest 3 and Steam for $19.99.