Kerestell Smith
| Kerestell Smith | |
|---|---|
| File:Kerestell "Lemming" Smith.webpKerestell "Lemming" Smith.webp Smith in 2025 | |
| Born | Kerestell Smith January 1990 (age 36) Mamaroneck, New York, United States |
| Other names | Lemming Lemming VR |
| 🏫 Education | The Cooper Union |
| 💼 Occupation | Game developer, esports player |
| Known for | Creating Gorilla Tag |
Kerestell “Lemming” Smith (born January 1990) also known by his online alias Lemming VR or simply Lemming, is an American virtual reality game developer and esports player best known as the creator of the multiplayer VR game Gorilla Tag. He is the founder and chief creative officer of Another Axiom, the studio that owns both Gorilla Tag and their newest release Orion Drift. Smith initially developed Gorilla Tag as an independent project before the game gained widespread popularity following its release in early access in 2021. It has since become both the most commercially successful and widely played VR game in history.
Early Life
Kerestell Smith was born in January 1990 and raised in Mamaroneck, New York. He attended college at The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in Manhattan, where he studied mechanical engineering.[1]
Smith graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering in 2012. Shortly after he moved to California to begin a career in software engineering, working for companies like Workday.
Esports career
Prior to his work as a developer Smith was a professional player in the game Echo Arena VR, which was more commonly known as simply Echo VR before its shut down.[2][3] He won the first two back-to-back world championships in 2017 and 2018, captaining the team Ec.lip.se.[4][5][6]
Career
Smith began developing Gorilla Tag in December 2019 as an independent project.[7] The game's locomotion involved players moving using their arms rather than traditional joystick controls, which made the game stand out from other VR games at the time.[8] The core movement mechanics were developed prior to the game’s thematic concept, as initially the game used robot avatars. The use of gorilla avatars was introduced later as a way to complement the locomotion system.[9][10]
Gorilla Tag was released in early access in February 2021[11] and gained popularity through social media. It quickly began to break VR records and grow immensely, drawing thousands of new players to VR.[12] It was officially released on 15 December 2022 and grew even further.[13]
Smith also co-founded Another Axiom in 2020.[14] The studio grew as the game achieved commercial success, transitioning from a solo-developed project to a larger team-based production. Its stated goal is to make VR games feel like "alternate universes."[15]
Later work
By 2024 Gorilla Tag had attracted over 10 million players and generated more than $100 million in revenue[16], making it one of the most successful VR titles of all time. By 2026 this number had grown to 15 million lifetime players and 1 million daily active users.[11] Smith began to expand the Gorilla Tag brand and began to release merchandise for the game in the form of plushies.[17]
In 2025 Smith developed and released Orion Drift, a game with similar movement to Gorilla Tag.[18][19] The game was intended to be a tribute to Echo VR, and Smith began developing it in 2023.[20]
See also
References
- ↑ "Kerestell Smith ME'12 Reimagines Virtual Reality Gameplay". cooperedu. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
- ↑ "Behind the Build: Another Axiom Talks 'Gorilla Tag'". Archived from the original on 2026-03-11. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
- ↑ "Studio Responsible for Gorilla Tag is Pushing Boundaries of Technology, Interaction & VR Sports | VR Fitness Insider". 2024-01-15. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
- ↑ "AWE USA 2024 - Kerestell Smith". www.awexr.com. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
- ↑ "#1489: "Gorilla Tag" Design Philosophy & Embodied Gameplay Deep Dive with Kerestell Smith – Voices of VR Podcast". Retrieved 2026-04-29.
- ↑ Kaser, Rachel (2023-01-19). "How Gorilla Tag made it big on the Quest's not-store". GamesBeat. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
- ↑ "Gorilla Tag: High Intensity Fitness, Fun & Esports | VR Fitness Insider". 2021-07-29. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
- ↑ Takahashi, Dean (2024-06-19). "Gorilla Tag crosses 10M VR players and $100M in revenue". GamesBeat. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
- ↑ "How Gorilla Tag Became A Generational Obsession And Conquered VR". GameSpot. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
- ↑ published, Michael L. Hicks (2022-05-23). "The joy of Gorilla Tag for Oculus Quest proves Meta should do more with App Lab". Android Central. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 "From Virtual to Real: Gorilla Tag Expands Into Toys". Auganix.org. 2026-03-16. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
- ↑ Roettgers, Janko. "How Gorilla Tag is weathering the VR winter". Lowpass. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
- ↑ "Monke Madness: 'Gorilla Tag' Now Live on the Meta Quest Store". Meta. 2022-12-05. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
- ↑ "Gorilla Tag Press Kit | Media Assets & Brand Resources". www.gorillatagvr.com. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
- ↑ "Another Axiom | About Us | Our Philosophy & History". www.anotheraxiom.com. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
- ↑ "Revenue for the VR game Gorilla Tag has exceeded $100 million". WN Hub. 2024-06-20. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
- ↑ Langsworthy, Billy (2026-03-09). "Bonkers Toys to launch Gorilla Tag plush, figures and collectibles in 2027". Brands Untapped. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
- ↑ Hayden, Scott (2025-02-19). "'Gorilla Tag' Sequel 'Orion Drift' Launches in Early Access Next Week on Quest". Road to VR. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
- ↑ Bezmalinovic, Tomislav (2025-02-27). "Orion Drift is a bit like the metaverse we were promised". MIXED Reality News. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
- ↑ Hayden, Scott (2023-02-23). "'Gorilla Tag' Creator Hints at 'Echo VR' Spiritual Successor as Next Project". Road to VR. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
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