Starvault Aims High In The VR MOBA Genre

Starvault is a brand-new VR MOBA, and I walked away impressed by its initial offering. Read on for our hands-on experience with its open beta.

MOBAs cemented themselves as a mainstay genre in gaming at large, so much so that it is a predictable affair every time you play the myriad options available. But what if those same rules were applied to a well-translated, authentic VR experience? We've seen prior attempts like Glassbreakers and Mecha Party, and Starvault is an FPS MOBA that does not shy away from its lofty goals. It's delivering an equally stunning visual showcase and thrilling match-based online experience that hopes to engage players all the way to a full release.

Putting those promises to the test, Starvault's visual fidelity is soon evident upon entering the arena. Lush forests, dynamic lighting, and the overall resolution showcases graphical quality that, while not at the level of North Star, certainly reminds me of what’s possible on a Quest 3. The cartoony hero shooter art style, in the same vein as Overwatch, aids in reaching a compromise between realistic and stylized graphics.

With the MOBA mechanics, anybody who's played the genre before will feel right at home, and a brief but obligatory tutorial guides through the straightforward rules. Set in an arena where you spawn from a base in the map's corner, you must make your way across the map to destroy the enemy core and win the round. Enemy towers that deal heavy damage and “creeps,” otherwise known as enemy NPCs, make it harder to reach your goal. Finally, there's sporadic arena challenges that buff your team's damage output if you win, spicing up the frequent combat encounters.

These 5v5 matches unfold with an increasing intensity, as said creeps reward you with experience points when killed, unlock and reinforce abilities, plus currency to buy and equip perks. Some of these include the ability to do more damage, which makes your character deadlier the longer the match lasts. An in-base store also sells several one-time abilities like “Oblivion,” where you explode and cause severe damage to your enemies upon death, and that's quite useful in the latter moments of a session.

A highlight of Starvault’s experience is its effective use of VR. For instance, Artheya's bow moveset uses your shoulders and hips to grab arrows and trigger different skills, excelling at using the VR gameplay to the fullest. Each character comes with unique mobility, weapons, and abilities, and piloting a “Titan” you can control once defeated feels breathtaking. The towering view, paired with the massive damage inflicted on the minuscule enemies below, gives an impression of controlling a kaiju wreaking havoc over an unlucky city.

VR or not, all live service video games live and die by their online communities. While Starvault has a solid foundation, it lacks a memorable soundtrack to create familiarity and punchy sound effects that are arguably listened to often during every match, leaving an opportunity to grow. Something else that remains to be seen is any potential balancing issues that may be introduced as the game goes on. Though the heroes in this open beta feel just contrasting enough, a misguided update can always affect that in the long run.

Starvault is taking steps in the right direction to find its audience. It's implemented AI bots, quick drop-ins to live matches, and Theia Games is fostering a welcoming Discord community for players to find their footing. There is a long road ahead of it as a VR MOBA, but it's a valiant effort I will keep a close eye on as it continues development. With a full launch slated for early 2026 and aspirations to become a VR esport, the sky's the limit.

Starvault is now available as an open beta on Quest.