The first site will open this summer at the Grand Canal Shoppes in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Location-based entertainment provider Sandbox VR has announced plans to open 15 new sites by the end of 2021, less than a year after the company reemerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy after being forced to shutter all of its original locations due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The first of these state-of-the-art locations will open “early this summer” at the Grand Canal Shoppes in Las Vegas, Nevada—the flagship location of the now-defunct LBE company The Void. The company aims to have 15 locations up-and-running worldwide by the end of the year by targeting commercial real estate locations also affected by COVID-19.
Since reopening its locations outside of Chicago and in Austin with government-mandated restrictions, Sandbox VR says its seen an increased demand of 30% from before the pandemic. With vaccination rates on the rise in the United States, the company remains optimistic about the future of location-based entertainment.
“We have been incredibly fortunate to have been able to survive such a devastating year for everyone in the retail and entertainment industry,” said Steve Zhao, founder and CEO of Sandbox VR. “The pandemic has been so isolating for everyone that we are confident once it is safe to gather with friends and family from different households they will be looking for social experiences that offer some fun and escape from the difficulties that 2020 brought.”
Like The Void, Sandbox VR leverages full-body motion capture, haptic suits, and custom peripherals to immerse groups of up to six in a wide range of free roam experiences—from Curse of Davy Jones, a swashbuckling adventure set aboard a supernatural pirate ship to Star Trek: Discovery, a futuristic shooter that has you exploring strange alien worlds alongside your friends.
“As one of the leading retail and entertainment destinations on The Strip, Grand Canal Shoppes is excited to bring Sandbox VR to guests this summer.” added Janet LaFevre, Senior Marketing Manager of Grand Canal Shoppes. “This is one of the many immersive new experiences The Shoppes has to offer and we look forward to bringing our guests even more offerings to discover new ways to indulge while enjoying a brief break from reality while visiting our destination this year.”
Moving forward, Sandbox VR states that it will remain committed to providing a COVID-safe environment for its visitors. In addition to limiting bookings and maintaining proper social distancing protocols between visitors, groups will be separated into private rooms and given freshly-sanitized equipment. Each location will also feature a contactless setup process and will require visitors to wear a mask at all times.
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Feature Image Credit: Sandbox VR
