Shutdown Looming Over

Hopefully you made enough friends shaking hands, playing shooter games, or simply having a conversation in the digital world of Rec Room, because this particular metaverse shop is about to shut down.

“Despite this popularity, we never quite figured out how to make Rec Room a sustainably profitable business. Our costs always ended up overwhelming the revenue we brought in,” their leaders have spoken.

It comes as a surprise because about four years ago, the virtual reality game was valued at $3.5 Billion. 

And what a way to go. It will cease to operate on June 1, 2026, which marks the game’s 10th anniversary. People sure loved to be a part of this digital community. The numbers tell it all. 150 million players and creators made the platform what it is today, as their official announcement notes. A barren land it will be now.

Of course, the news didn’t land well with the users and they all shared their sadness over the internet. See their reactions below.

It will be missed, some say.

https://x.com/dudug2006/status/2038985119285846027?s=20 

It certainly was a legendary social room, as this comment reflects.

https://x.com/iGreenGod/status/2038863371802685542?s=20 

Rec Room has issued some guidelines for users so they can pack their things up and say farewell.

What Does This Means For the Metaverse?

Metaverse is still fighting the fight to make its way to the common users. Some have said that it is dead already. But the closure of Rec Room tells us that there’s still life in it, though it’s draining.

Closure of Rec Room means a few other alternatives like Roblox and VRChat may thrive. We haven’t heard that these platforms have run out of funds, so this isn’t exactly the death of the metaverse. For now.