Les Mills XR Bodycombat is no stranger to sweating you out. Built around high-energy martial arts routines, it’s one of the most established fitness apps on the Meta Quest platform. But with its latest “Never Surrender” update, the app is reaching for something different.
Instead of just throwing punches to the beat, this new expansion introduces a narrative campaign, motion-captured enemies, and voice-acted sequences. It’s still a workout, but now it’s dressed more like an action game.
A campaign format for workout sessions
“Never Surrender” isn’t just a playlist of new routines. It’s a five-level single-player experience with a light storyline layered on top. The idea is to keep you engaged with more than just movement — giving structure and tension to the way you train.
You’ll move through futuristic settings, facing off against animated enemies that react to your strikes. This adds a mild gamified edge, not unlike what we’ve seen in titles like Supernatural or Beat Saber’s newer campaigns. But the story focus gives it a clearer start-to-finish arc. It’s also voice-guided, but not in the usual upbeat instructor way. The narration here plays more like a sci-fi audio drama, with your character receiving guidance and encouragement as they move through increasingly intense stages.
More cinematic than before
Visually, this update is aiming for atmosphere. While earlier versions of Bodycombat were clean and abstract — focused on movement first — the “Never Surrender” levels add more lighting, detail, and environmental variety. You’re not just shadowboxing in a neon tunnel. Now you’re dodging drones and fighting holographic enemies in locations that feel closer to game environments than gym spaces.
It doesn’t hit AAA fidelity, but the intent is clear: give VR fitness more visual identity, and make each session feel like part of a larger, cohesive world.
Balancing workout and entertainment
The trick with updates like this is keeping the workout core intact. Bodycombat’s foundation is still martial arts-based cardio, and even with the new presentation, every move is calibrated for physical intensity.
Punch detection and motion tracking seem unchanged from the main app, which is a good thing. There’s no risk of style overtaking substance — your arms will still feel it after a session.
But if you’re the kind of user who struggles to stay motivated with routine repetition, adding narrative beats might be enough to re-engage. It’s a trend we’ve seen growing across fitness games — blending progress with story cues to tap into more of the brain, not just the body.
Available now for Meta Quest users
The expansion is live as a free update for those who already own the Les Mills XR Bodycombat app. It’s a one-time campaign with five chapters, so it’s not replacing the existing routines, just offering something fresh alongside them.
There’s no word yet on whether future story-driven content will follow, but this could mark a shift in how fitness apps think about engagement. Less repetition, more variation. Not just training, but training with a sense of direction.
Virtual Reality Explorer & Game Reviewer
Always the first to plug in. VRSCOUT dives head-first into the most immersive VR worlds, analyzing mechanics, comfort, innovation, and that elusive “presence” factor. If he says it’s worth it, it probably is.
