The world’s first reo Māori virtual reality (VR) game has been released, offering a new platform for celebrating Māori culture, language and the global challenges faced by Indigenous communities.
Titled Atuatanga, the immersive experience was developed by director Wiremu Grace. Set in a dystopian future where humanity has destroyed the Earth, the game explores a fractured relationship between Atua Māori (Māori gods) and mankind.
Grace said the deteriorating state of the environment inspired him to create an experience rooted in te ao Māori that people could physically engage with.
“I puta mai te whakaaro mō tēnei kēmu, i a au e whakaaro ake ana, [taku] aroha ki tō tātou nei whenua, me te kite anō hoki ki te tūkinotanga o te tangata, ki ō tātou nei Atua, ki te korowai o Papatūānuku,” he said.
Reframing Māori storytelling
Atuatanga is the first VR game entirely in te reo Māori and aims to forge new pathways for traditional Indigenous storytelling through modern technology.
The game debuted at the Māoriland Film Festival in 2024, where it won the People’s Choice Award, and was also screened at the Doc Edge Festival the same year in Aotearoa.
Grace said he hopes to create alternative platforms where rangatahi (youth) can see themselves reflected in the stories they experience.
“Kia kite rātou i a rātou anō. Ka kite rātou i ō rātou ake kōrero, ō rātou ake pakiwaitara, pūrākau rānei he mea nui tērā ki a au.”
International premiere set for June
Atuatanga is scheduled to make its international festival debut at imagineNATIVE, the world’s largest Indigenous film and media arts festival, from 1 to 8 June 2025 in Toronto, Canada.
Grace also plans to introduce the game into kura (schools) and educational institutions, using Atuatanga to explore how pūrākau (traditional narratives), technology, and software can enrich teaching and learning experiences.
He encouraged Māori to retain ownership of their narratives and cultural practices.
“Ki a au nei kia whai i aua ara, kia kaua tātou e waiho mō tētahi atu hei kawe i ā tātou nei tikanga, ā tātou nei kōrero. Mā tātou anō tātou e arahi i roto i ngā rā kei tua.”
Atuatanga is now available on the META Quest store.
