The video game series, Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR Series, is a virtual reality experience in three parts, considered canon. It was developed by ILMxLAB, with David S. Goyer serving as the writer and executive producer, a role he also held for the virtual reality experience Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire. Episode I initially came out on May 21, 2019 for the Oculus Quest. Subsequently, Episode II and III were launched on September 25, 2019, and November 21, 2019, respectively. A comprehensive package featuring all three episodes was made available for PlayStation VR on August 25, 2020. Taking place in 1 BBY, the narrative unfolds after the events of Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire, focusing on Darth Vader's endeavors on Mustafar.
The project's initial announcement occurred in 2016 at Celebration Europe. On September 25, 2018, ILMxLAB provided a sneak peek of the project through posts on their Facebook and Instagram accounts. The following day, a teaser trailer was released. Later that same day, The Star Wars Show officially confirmed that the series' timeline falls between Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
A panel dedicated to the series took place at Celebration Chicago on April 12, 2019. This event showcased the developers, including writer David S. Goyer, and featured an exclusive, interactive preview of the first episode of the series.
According to Tim Alexander, who is the supervisor at ILMxLAB, the concept arose during discussions about expanding the Star Wars universe, with Vader emerging as the primary focus. Ben Snow mentioned that the storyline, which involves Vader employing a mercenary to locate an artifact capable of bridging the gap between life and death, was partially inspired by Raiders of the Lost Ark. This plot element was also intended to enrich Vader's character.
In 2019, Vader Immortal was among the finalists for an Emmy nomination in the category of "Outstanding Innovation in Interactive Media." The game received the Best VR/AR Game award at the Game Developers Choice Award in 2020, and also won the Innovation award from the Producers Guild of America Award in 2020.
- David Goyer On The 'Star Wars: Vader Immortal' VR Experience And Adding A New Side To The Legendary Villain [Interview] on /Film (archived from the original on May 12, 2019)