Sandbox VR Opens New Venue in Ottawa, Canada, December 19

The 'best virtual reality experience on the planet' joins the entertainment lineup in ByWard Market

OTTAWA, ON, Dec. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Sandbox VR, the world's premier venue for virtual reality experiences, today announced the grand opening of its newest venue in Ottawa, Canada, opening on Friday, December 19, in the buzzing hub of ByWard Market. With nearly 150k players monthly, Sandbox VR is rapidly growing its global footprint with thriving corporate-owned locations and a robust franchising program.

Sandbox VR is redefining group entertainment with immersive experiences that transform any outing into lasting memories. Built by a team of veteran developers from EA, Sony, and Ubisoft, Sandbox VR delivers full-body immersion through exclusive content and original experiences, offering guests the opportunity to step out of everyday reality into unforgettable adventures with friends and family.

"Ottawa is an exciting addition to our growing global footprint," said Sandbox VR CEO and Founder, Steve Zhao. "We're bringing world-class immersive entertainment to a city known for embracing culture and community, and we're thrilled to offer friends and families here something truly unforgettable."

"Ottawa deserves a world-class entertainment experience, and there's nothing else like Sandbox VR," said Sam Mansour, Franchise Owner, Sandbox VR Ottawa. "ByWard Market is the perfect home for us – where people come to have a great time, and now they can level up their night out with an immersive adventure. I can't wait to welcome the community and watch them step into these experiences."

Sandbox VR's Ottawa venue is an entertainment space that features four private rooms where groups of up to six guests suit up with headsets, haptic vests, and motion sensors for full-body immersion. This technology allows players to see and physically interact with one another, creating the feeling of living inside the action together. The premium experience extends from arrival to exit, with personalized highlight videos allowing guests to relive and share their adventures.

Recently, Sandbox VR launched Stranger Things: Catalyst, the highly anticipated immersive experience now available at locations worldwide. In the experience, players become Dr. Brenner's test subjects and explore the sinister halls of Hawkins National Laboratory, the eerie glow of the Rainbow Room, the shadow-haunted woods of Mirkwood, and the nightmarish Upside Down.

Guests can choose from any of ten exclusive immersive experiences created by Sandbox VR's in-house team of video game industry veterans:

• *NEW* Stranger Things: Catalyst - Images available HERE
  • Created in partnership with Netflix, Stranger Things: Catalyst allows fans to step inside the global phenomenon in an all-new immersive chapter that puts you at the heart of Hawkins' darkest secrets.
• Rebel Moon: The Descent - Images available HERE
  • Created in partnership with Netflix and legendary Director Zack Snyder, The Rebel Moon experience allows you to explore the world of Daggus. Descend through towering skyscrapers, gritty urban streets, and a subterranean mine as you battle against enemy soldiers, spacecraft, and more.
• Deadwood PHOBIA - Images available HERE
  • The latest installment of VR's most iconic zombie series takes players into a derelict medical facility crawling with unprecedented, mind-bending horrors. Deadwood PHOBIA takes you on a journey through your fears, where you can't trust everything you see.
• Squid Game Virtuals - Images available HERE
  • Compete against your crew in several pulse-pounding (yet more approachable, but just as thrilling) mini-games inspired by the #1 Netflix series. Play again and again to experience and master all-new games and challenges.
• Seekers of the Shard: Dragonfire - Images available HERE
  • Journey through a world of fantasy and explore a ruined fortress, an underground river, a haunted tomb and the dragon's tower as you become Seekers of the Shard.
• Deadwood Valley - Images available HERE
  • Engage in an adrenaline-pumping thrill-ride through a town overrun by zombies. Your squad could stop the zombie menace forever - or die trying!
• Deadwood Mansion - Images available HERE
  • Do you have what it takes to survive a zombie apocalypse? Work with your team to protect Deadwood Mansion from a terrifying horde of undead.
• Curse of Davy Jones - Images available HERE
  • Battle on the high seas against a variety of supernatural creatures and hunt for the long-lost treasure of Davy Jones.
• Amber Sky 2088 - Images available HERE
  • Become heroic Androids equipped with futuristic weapons and soar through the clouds on a space elevator while defending Earth from an alien invasion.
• UFL: Unbound Fighting League - Images available HERE
  • Transform into a futuristic gladiator and compete against your friends in thrilling duels in a breathtaking arena beyond the limits of reality.

Sandbox VR provides an unparalleled entertainment experience with over 200,000 five-star reviews from guests worldwide. With 5 million lifetime tickets sold across five continents, the company has established itself as the global leader in location-based virtual reality.

Sandbox VR is backed by Andreessen Horowitz, Alibaba Entrepreneurs Fund, Gobi Partners, Craft, and Stanford University, along with individuals such as Kevin Durant, Justin Timberlake, and Katy Perry.

To learn more about Sandbox VR visit https://sandboxvr.com/ottawa/.

ABOUT SANDBOX VR
Sandbox VR is the world's premier destination for location-based virtual reality experiences. Operating across 65+ venues around the globe through a robust franchise and corporate-owned model, Sandbox VR attracts nearly 150,000 guests each month. Sandbox VR provides guests the opportunity to step out of everyday reality into unforgettable adventures through exhilarating, group-play immersive experiences. Using a proprietary full-body VR platform, the company develops original and licensed content, including exclusive experiences like Stranger Things: Catalyst and Squid Game Virtuals in collaboration with Netflix, and the Sandbox VR original Deadwood series. With over 5 million tickets sold worldwide, Sandbox VR has become the leader in immersive entertainment, combining premium technology with emotionally engaging storytelling. Recognized as one of Fast Company's 2024 Most Innovative Companies and the 129th fastest-growing company on the 2024 Inc. 5000 list, Sandbox VR is headquartered in San Francisco with offices in Hong Kong and Vancouver. The company has raised over $138 million from investors, including Andreessen Horowitz, Alibaba Entrepreneurs Fund, Gobi Partners, and Craft, with individual backers including Justin Timberlake, Katy Perry, Kevin Durant, and Will Smith.

Media Contact:
Metro Public Relations for Sandbox VR 
[email protected] 

SOURCE Sandbox VR