Sandbox VR Fuels Global Expansion, Establishing Europe as a Core Growth Engine

ALSFELD, Germany, Feb. 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Sandbox VR, the world’s premier venue for virtual reality experiences, continues to drive its dynamic expansion across Europe, establishing the region as one of its most important growth engines, alongside the United States and Canada. With the company’s recent venue opening in Vienna, Austria, Sandbox VR now has a presence in six European countries and operates 19 locations across Europe. In total, Sandbox VR has scaled to over 70 global locations since 2016 and shows no signs of slowing down.

Sandbox VR has European locations across Germany, England, Ireland, Switzerland, Italy, and now, Austria, with the newest venue located in Vienna’s 10th district directly at Columbusplatz. The European expansion is being led by Germany company Next Level Erlebnisse, the largest Sandbox VR franchisee worldwide, which operates the majority of Sandbox VR locations in Germany, as well as the Austrian market. More than half of all new openings among the company’s more than 70 Sandbox VR locations worldwide have taken place in Europe over the past year, with additional expansions into further European countries in motion and will be coming later this year and beyond.

“Europe is one of the most strategically important global markets for Sandbox VR,” said Steve Zhao, CEO of Sandbox VR. “The momentum we are seeing here reinforces our decision to significantly scale our European footprint together with strong partners like Next Level Erlebnisse and Royal Casino DGS.”

A key driver of this growth is Sandbox VR’s portfolio of exclusive original content and culturally relevant IP partnerships with entertainment brands, including Netflix, that clearly differentiate Sandbox VR within the location-based VR market. This includes the highly anticipated Stranger Things: Catalyst, now available worldwide, as well as Squid Game Virtuals, which recently surpassed $50M in lifetime sales since its release in 2023, further underscoring the demand for immersive experiences among global audiences.

Sandbox VR is continuing to expand its content offerings to reach new audiences with a focus on more cultural immersive experiences and family entertainment, a segment of strong relevance in Europe. Created in partnership with the Natural History Museum of London and leading dinosaur experts, Age of Dinosaurs will launch this Spring and will feature the most realistic 3D dinosaurs ever presented in virtual reality. Guests will embark on a breathtaking expedition to the heart of the prehistoric world, where they will come face-to-face with dinosaurs to discover how they truly lived while searching for answers that could save the future.

“Europe is ideally positioned for high-quality learning and family entertainment concepts,” said Torsten Schneider, CEO of Next Level Erlebnisse. “With formats like Age of Dinosaurs, we are expanding Sandbox VR beyond pure entertainment and strengthening the long-term relevance of our European locations.”

Guests can choose from any of ten exclusive immersive experiences created by Sandbox VR’s in-house team of video game industry veterans including the newly launched Stranger Things: Catalyst, Rebel Moon: The Descent, Deadwood PHOBIA, Deadwood Valley, Deadwood Mansion, Squid Game Virtuals, Seekers of the Shard: Dragonfire, Curse of Davy Jones, Amber Sky 2088 and UFL: Unbound Fighting League.

For more information about Sandbox VR, visit www.sandboxvr.com

ABOUT SANDBOX VR
Sandbox VR is the world’s premier destination for location-based virtual reality experiences. Operating across 70+ 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
sandboxvr@metropublicrelations.com

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SOURCE Sandbox VR