Your first launch of Tank Avenger: what happens next after you put the headset on

When you start a new game, you often don’t know what comes next. That can feel unsettling. But Tank Avenger always follows the same fixed order at launch. Once you know it, you’ll feel sure of yourself straight away. Here we explain every step, with the exact English button names.

What you need

• A Meta Quest 2, Pro, 3 or 3S with Tank Avenger installed.
• Clear floor space, at least 1.5 square metres. The makers recommend about 2 × 2 metres.
• An internet connection. The store says this is needed.
• Both controllers (the Quest’s hand controllers), charged.
• About 5 minutes for the very first launch.

What it costs

On 10 October 2026, the game cost £9.99 in the UK Meta Store, as a one-off purchase. The launch itself costs nothing extra. There are no adverts in the game, according to the store. You can find the current price on the official store page.

Step by step: the first launch

1. The safety briefing

First, a big title appears: SAFETY FIRST. Underneath it says “BEFORE YOU DEPLOY • A QUICK LOOK AROUND”. That means: before you set off, take a quick look around.

A board headed CHECK YOUR ROOM shows five rules. Beside it, a little living-room model demonstrates the rules. A dog runs out, clutter disappears, a person leaves the room.

This briefing comes up every time you launch, not just the first time. That is deliberate. It reminds you briefly about safe space each time.

2. Press ALL CLEAR • LET’S GO

At the bottom, the button ALL CLEAR • LET’S GO appears. It only becomes selectable after about 1.4 seconds. The game waits patiently for you to press it.

Aim with the light beam from the right controller at the button. Then press the trigger (the button under your index finger).

In the corner, you can see whether the room has been recognised yet. When the display turns green, it says “ROOM READY”.

3. Wait a moment if the room is still being recognised

During the briefing, the headset is recognising your room in the background. If that isn’t finished yet, “Scanning room…” appears briefly. Just wait a few seconds. Move calmly and look around the room.

4. Choose the play floor

Now the title BATTLEFIELD appears. Underneath it says “RECON • THE ROOM IS THE MAP”, meaning: your room is the map.

Your floor is divided into 25-centimetre tiles. At first, all the tiles light up. Tiles under furniture are red and are never part of the play area. Hold the trigger down and swipe over tiles you don’t want to use. They then go dark.

Beside it, a little model of your room rotates. There you can see your selection from above.

5. Press CONTINUE

If the area is big enough, the button CONTINUE becomes selectable. You need at least 24 lit tiles, which is 1.5 square metres. You also need a clear spot of 0.6 × 0.6 metres. If the area is too small, CONTINUE stays grey.

Your selection is saved. The next time you launch in the same room, the game offers it again.

6. The intro film

The first time, a film of just over a minute now plays. A little toy village with a church and houses stands on your floor. A siren sounds, planes fly through your room just below head height and bomb the village. At the end, your tank rises from the rubble. A radio voice says in English: “You’re on your own… good luck.”

The film is loud and can take you by surprise. Stay standing calmly. Nobody can touch you.

You can skip the film after a second. To do that, press the menu button on the left controller or B on the right. At the end it says “PULL THE TRIGGER TO CONTINUE”. Then you press the trigger.

The film keeps playing on later launches until you have watched it right through or skipped it once. After that, it no longer comes up on its own.

7. The main menu

Now you are in the main menu. It is called Command Deck. Your tank hovers above a round radar on the floor. The big green button PLAY starts the next level. The first time, that is level 1 with a short practice.

Good to know

• The order is fixed: safety briefing, waiting if needed, play floor, film (only at the start), main menu.
• Watch the film again later: via SETTINGS, then REPLAY, then INTRO.
• VR mode: if you have switched on VR mode, you won’t see your real room. Instead of the floor, you then choose a spot for a fixed play area. The button there is called PLACE THE BATTLEFIELD.
• The small print: at the bottom of the safety page it says the full instructions can be found under SETTINGS and INFO.

If something goes wrong

• ALL CLEAR • LET’S GO doesn’t respond: wait two seconds. Then aim exactly at the button.
• “Scanning room…” takes a long time: look slowly around the room. Check that the room is well lit.
• CONTINUE stays grey: the area is too small. Swipe over dark tiles to switch them back on. Or clear more floor space.
• The film frightens you: skip it with B. You won’t miss anything important.

We also explain technical terms like mixed reality in our glossary.