AND thVRsday
In it weekly columnAndroid Central Senior Content Producer Nick Sutrich explores VR, from new hardware to new games, upcoming technologies and more.
Me with one move never saw it coming, Supernatural is coming back from the dead, and its founders and trainers are forming a completely independent company to start over.
On Wednesday morning, the news hit me sideways Facebook community post (via Good Virtual Reality) was published, and it’s the biggest VR news hit since Meta closed most of its in-house studios Back in January.
As you’ve probably guessed, one of those studios was Within, the house that made Supernatural and was bought by Meta (then Facebook). in 2021. Despite the landmark legal battle between the FTC and Meta upon receiptMeta has previously washed its hands of what it claims is “the future of home workouts.” But thanks to a thriving, outspoken online community, Supernatural is back, and this time it’s completely free from Meta’s clutches.
What makes a supernatural movie special
Supernatural’s April 2020 launch couldn’t be more timely. Most of the world has been shut down due to COVID. People weren’t leaving their homes, they weren’t going to work, and they weren’t necessarily going to the gym, but Supernatural made it possible for people to stay fit at home and get the coach-led experience that they still sorely miss. My original first impression is pictured above and it tells you everything you need to know.
Supernatural isn’t (or wasn’t) just a real-looking Beat Saber clone. Each day brought training led by a new coach full of popular music, spectacular views and a game that rewarded those who gave 100% effort. As Russell Holly said when I wrote about it in May of that year“I’m dripping sweat, every inch hurts, and I have a big smile on my face.”
Back then, I had never taken a trainer-led gym class, and to be honest, I had little interest in such things. Russell’s recommendation, along with glowing recommendations from the VR community in general, convinced me to give it a try. I spent the next few months playing with him every day and quickly learned the power of the coach’s voice. This, along with my wife, has pushed me to a healthier lifestyle than I have ever been.
And I am far from alone in this feeling. The the official Supernatural Facebook community It has over 113,000 members and the response to this week’s news has been overwhelmingly positive. “No! I don’t cry at work!” reads a post and almost all the answers are the same. “I cried too.” “Of course I cry! This app has changed my life.” “Here I am crying!!!!”
Because it’s not supernatural just great, trainer-led daily workout. It was a community of people all finding a way to exercise fun and share these victories together. People encouraged each other. They cried with each other. They won with each other, and Meta’s unceremonious jam in January 2026 was more than heartbreaking for these people. It was the end of something that changed their lives for the better.
What will the new Supernatural look like?
Supernatural is coming back, and while the most important parts of the experience will remain, a lot will undoubtedly change. The team doesn’t hesitate to say that it’s not the same old program under new management. It’s OG management taking back the reins and creating something new (and hopefully better) in the process.
per head Supernatural Official Siteyour favorite trainers will be back “day one”, new workouts and future features will be built using feedback, and the community will be central to the entire experience. Because trainers must be paid for their ongoing work, Supernatural will still be a subscription-only experience, but fans can keep the “founder rate.” registration of interest in re-employmentcurrently scheduled for fall 2026.
The standard rate goes up to $20 a month or $200 a year, but let’s be real: you’re unlikely to find a trainer-led gym class for just $20 a month. Even if you need financial help to cover expenses, Supernatural Scholarships will be there to help.
Although specific platforms have yet to be announced, Supernatural will still remain a “VR training app.” It almost certainly means Meta Quest first, since it’s a completely standalone, wireless VR console, but now free of the Supernatural Meta’s funding and influence, it can also apply to other VR platforms.
“We’re going back to our roots and plan to build core pieces of technology from the ground up as a smaller company,” the Supernatural team said, which tells me that this game will almost certainly rely less on Meta’s proprietary development tools and instead be built in a more sustainable way for future growth.
There’s no chance the core gameplay will change, though I imagine a lot of new ideas from the community could be implemented into this remastered Supernatural. I also doubt we’ll see any real changes to the soundtrack, as licensed, popular music is one of the main things that makes Supernatural so uniquely powerful.
Regardless of the specifics, one thing’s for sure: Supernatural is back, the community is abuzz with a new direction for its favorite workout app, and VR fitness is set for a full-on renaissance this fall. The real question is whether other defunct Meta studios will see this kind of revival.
