Rec Room is shutting down in June. Meta’s Horizon Worlds is looking for greener pastures on cell. Now, VRChat co-founders say there’s no want to fret in regards to the social VR platform’s future.
“In case you have been questioning, VRChat will not be going anyplace,” studio co-founders Graham Gaylor and Jesse Joudrey say in a current weblog put up.
In line with Gaylor and Joudrey, who based VRChat in 2014, a few of that confidence comes from the platform’s skill to constantly usher in report numbers of holiday makers throughout Quest, SteamVR, Pico headsets, PC, and cell gadgets.
“Final New 12 months’s Eve, practically 150,000 individuals have been in VRChat on the identical time—celebrating a worldwide occasion for yet one more yr. Most of these people had visited us for New Years a number of occasions earlier than, however for some, it was their first time,” the studio founders say. “It’s been three months since, and we’ve damaged that person report twice since then. Our newest report? Almost 160,000 individuals in VRChat on the identical time.”
Whereas these kinds of occasions periodically usher in usership peaks, it’s what individuals purchase as soon as they’re in VRChat that issues. And its creator financial system is booming, the founders say.
“Not solely that, however our creator financial system, avatar market, and first-party shops are all rising. Creators like Studio TrickForge, spookyghostboo, and nawty have made VRChat a spot the place they will create wonderful communities, experiences, and identities, all whereas incomes for his or her laborious work. We onboard extra creators every single day.”
Notably, the platform rolled out its centralized market for avatars and digital gadgets in mid-2025, which makes use of its in-game forex, VRChat Credit. Previous to this, customers principally purchased and bought avatars via third-party markets, comparable to Sales space or Gumroad, basically making for a brand new income stream VRChat might faucet into.
Gaylor and Joudrey say nevertheless one of many largest causes VRChat continues to be kicking in a time of market headwinds is its communities.
“Our group is the factor that makes VRChat completely different from each platform that has come and gone. You create worlds that defy creativeness. You construct avatars that embody expression and identification in methods by no means seen earlier than. You welcome strangers into your communities, make them really feel at dwelling, and sometimes change their lives for the higher.”
This follows some fairly worrying indicators from the broader VR gaming section. It was revealed in January that Meta is making a monumental shift in its priorities as a supporter of VR gaming, as its Actuality Labs XR division has shifted focus to AI and good glasses.
In the meantime, Meta has closed practically all first-party VR studios and cancelled quite a lot of in-progress video games, comparable to an unannounced Batman: Arkham Shadow sequel from Sanzaru Video games, an unannounced Harry Potter VR recreation for Quest from Skydance Video games, and a significant undertaking from Moss builders Polyarc.
Extra not too long ago, social VR platform Rec Room, as soon as valued at $3.5 billion, introduced it will likely be shutting down in June.
The put up “VRChat will not be going anyplace” Founders Reassure Amid Downturn in Social VR Platforms appeared first on Street to VR.