Entergram Releases VIRTUAL ENCORE Steam Demo Ahead Of January 2027 Launch
The demo's release sits alongside a planned Tokyo Game Show 2026 booth appearance and a scheduled Steam Next Fest run in October, giving Entergram two public touchpoints for the title months before its January 2027 launch.
Key Facts
- Entergram released the Steam demo for VIRTUAL ENCORE on September 17, 2026 at 12:00.
- VIRTUAL ENCORE is scheduled for release in January 2027 on PC via Steam and Nintendo Switch.
- The Steam version and Switch download version of VIRTUAL ENCORE cost 3,960 yen, the Switch standard packaged edition costs 4,400 yen, and the complete limited production edition costs 9,900 yen.
- VIRTUAL ENCORE will be exhibited at the Entergram booth (03-N05) at Tokyo Game Show 2026, held at Makuhari Messe from September 17 to September 21, 2026.
- VIRTUAL ENCORE is scheduled to take part in Steam Next Fest from October 19 to October 26, 2026.
Reporting from 2 sources: Game Spark, PANORA.
Entergram released a Steam demo for the time-loop mystery adventure game VIRTUAL ENCORE on September 17, 2026 at 12:00. The demo covers roughly two hours, running from the morning six days before the story's solo live through the moment the loop begins. The game follows Wakaba Kusunoki, a manager at the VTuber agency Production Echoes. Wakaba supports talent Erika Tsukimiya through the six days before her first solo live. Just before the performance, Mirei Kisaragi, the real person behind Erika, dies, and Wakaba is sent back to the morning six days earlier. Players pick destinations from a map and watch scenes unseen in prior loops. The release is set for January 2027 on PC via Steam and Nintendo Switch. The Steam and Switch download versions cost 3,960 yen. The Switch standard packaged edition is 4,400 yen and the complete limited production edition is 9,900 yen. Switch packaged preorders opened the same day.
Only Japanese and Simplified Chinese are supported in the demo. The full game runs about eight hours and carries more than 20 event CGs, with a CERO rating still under review.
Each main VTuber has one voice actor covering both the streaming persona and the real person. Shiori Yoshimura plays Erika Tsukimiya and Mirei Kisaragi, and Nagisa Hinoe plays Kirara Hinata and Kirara Shirase. Yuka Hiiragi plays manager Honoka Koyanagi, and Hajime Kanno plays fan Rito Nakamura.
The credits list Hazama on planning and direction, Bansaka on scenario, and Wata on character design with Cthlo on still art. The theme song is "phrilli," written and composed by Yuto Iizuka. The opening movie has also been released.
- 4-layer acrylic panel
- Theme song acrylic keychain with NFC tag
- Photo cards (original plus newly drawn)
The limited edition extras are still in production and designs may change. Store bonuses are planned at Animate, Sofmap, and other retailers, with details on the official website. Steam Next Fest participation is set for October 19 to 26, 2026.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 2 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.