Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Return Home to New York This Week: Empire City Gameplay to Debut at NY Comic Con

Coming to SteamVR and Meta Quest with solo and 4-player co-op action.

Go Ninja Go!

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) have been reborn and reimagined multiple times since their initial comic book debut in 1984, with video game versions ranging from arcade beat ‘em ups through to the recently released turn-based tactics of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tactical Takedown. Now, they’re set to make their VR debut in Empire City, developed by Cortopia Studios and published by Beyond Frame.

Empire City takes place after the death of the Turtles nemesis, The Shredder. As other villains flood New York in a bid to claim dominance over the city, it’s up to the four turtle brothers to fight back. The game is set in multiple well-known NYC neighbourhoods, making it a no-brainer that attendees at NY Comic Con be the first to get a proper look at the game.

“Before we show Empire City to the world, we wanted to share it directly with the fans,” said Ace St. Germain, Beyond Frames Entertainment CEO and Creative Director, in a press release. “With the Turtles’ roots in New York, there’s no better place for this special look than New York Comic Con.”

Cowabungas (Maybe) Not Included

Although it hasn’t been revealed whether this version of the TMNT will directly reference any specific existing storyline or version, Empire City does include Tom Waltz as a story consultant. He’s worked on numerous TMNT comics for IDW, including the well-regarded The Last Ronin, which follows a lone Turtle after his brothers have all been killed.

“As much as the Turtles are about action, their story is even more about family,” said St. Germain. “Their strength comes from their bond, and this is something that resonates deeply with fans. Tom Waltz is one of the best-loved minds in the TMNT creatorverse today, and his stories over the last decade have helped to shine a light on that bond. We couldn’t be more excited to have him involved in the project.”

Players will get to hang out in the lair, alongside Master Splinter.

As for the gameplay itself, players will get the chance (in solo play or four-person co-op) to master each Turtle’s signature weapon with precision strikes and blocks, as well as feel like a VR ninja through fluid parkour across New York’s virtual rooftops. St. Germain has promised that players will also get to fight popular villains from the franchise, but is keeping quiet on who…at least for now.

Panel Details

St. Germain will be spilling the beans on Empire City at New York Comic Con, alongside Waltz, this coming Friday (Oct. 10). Attendees will find them onstage from 12:45 to 13:45 in North-Room 408 and get to not only hear about the game’s story and development, but get access to the world premiere debut of a gameplay trailer.

Chinatown is one famous part of NYC players will get to experience in the VR form of a ninja turtle.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Empire City is slated for release in 2026, although a specific date is TBC. It’ll be available on SteamVR and MetaQuest.

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