The finisher
Striker
Shooting, one-timers, and breaking the defensive line. You live for the moment the puck lands on your blade in front of the net.
In development · Private multiplayer playtests underwayTop-down hockey,
Top-down hockey,
rebuilt for competition.
Virtual Hockey League is a competitive online hockey game built with Unreal Engine 5. You control a single skater or goalie. Passing, positioning, reactions and teamwork decide who wins.
What is VHL
One player. One position. One team.
You are one player, not the whole team
No line switching, no AI babysitting. You control a single skater or goalie for the whole match. Your movement, your touches, your mistakes. Every shift is yours to win.
Passing, positioning and timing win games
VHL is not a button-mashing sports sim. Space is created by skating lanes, one-timers come from real passing plays, and a goalie who reads the attack shuts it all down. Skill expression is the whole point.
Built for competition
Designed from the ground up for ranked play on dedicated servers: fast matches, real match statistics, seasonal rankings, and leaderboards. The rink is being built for esports.
Positions
Pick your role. Master it.
The playmaker
Support
Passing lanes, second-wave attack, transition play. You see the pass before anyone else does, and you make it look easy.
The wall
Defense
Positioning, steals, and denying space in front of the net. Strikers hate you. Your goalie loves you.
The last stand
Goalie
Reads, reflexes, and shot-stopping under pressure. One save can swing a match, and everyone will see it.
Competitive system
A ladder worth climbing.
Ranked matches
Every ranked match will run on dedicated servers and be scored from verified results. Your rating will move only when the match officially counts.
Seasons
Competitive seasons with soft resets keep the ladder alive. Climb, peak, and defend your tier while the season runs.
Public leaderboards
Global and seasonal leaderboards go live with the first ranked season: real players, real match data, nothing simulated.
Bronze
Silver
Gold
Platinum
Diamond
Master
Grandmaster
Climb from Bronze to Grandmaster. Ranked seasons begin with the VHL online platform.
The VHL network
From the rink to your profile.
Every pass, save, goal, and win travels through the VHL network and ends up on your profile. One connected league. Every match recorded. Every achievement remembered.
Player profiles and live stats arrive with the VHL online platform. This is how your data will flow.
Hover or tap any part of the network to see its role.
Media
Straight from the rink.
Everything below is real development footage. No target renders, no mockups.
The journey
The road so far.
The most recent milestones in VHL’s development. Every entry is real development history, not a roadmap promise.
Native rewrite and a dedicated server
Every gameplay system rewritten in native C++ and made server-authoritative, ending host advantage and the stutter that came with it. VHL now runs on a dedicated machine in a Nuremberg data centre, 24 hours a day, so every player connects to the same neutral referee.
Read the full story →NurembergLiveNuremberg, Germany— VHL’s dedicated alpha server. Skater model complete
The finished VHL skater model entered the game, together with a new set of skating and idle animations. Current work: tuning the skating until it sells glide, edges, and momentum instead of footsteps.
Read the full story →First 8-player worldwide playtest
Eight different people from around the world connected to the same lobby and played together for the first time. The jump from LAN sessions to real online play, with matchmaking, the server, and the netcode all tested under live conditions.
Read the full story →
Latest updates
From the dev bench.
FAQ
Quick answers.
What platforms will VHL be on?
VHL is launching on PC. Console versions are a long-term goal, with mobile considered after that.
Is VHL free to play?
Yes. VHL will be free to play, with optional cosmetic content such as skins and battle passes. Purchases will not provide gameplay or competitive advantages.
When can I play?
There is no public release date yet. We run community playtests and announce every session in our Discord, so join us there to catch the next one.
How many players are in one match?
VHL matches are 4v4, with all eight players controlling their own dedicated position.
Can I play goalie permanently?
Yes. Roles are queueable, so you can queue as a goalie and play goalie. Whatever position you pick, you control it for the entire match.
Does VHL support controllers?
VHL currently supports keyboard and mouse. Controller support is not available yet.
What regions will have servers?
Initial alpha playtests will run on European servers. Additional regions will be announced as testing expands.
The rink is being built.
Be there early.
Playtests, dev updates, and first access all happen in the community.