The Metaverse Dream Fades: Holoearth Joins Horizon Worlds in Shutdown

Remember when the metaverse was supposed to be the next big thing, the ultimate digital frontier where we’d all hang out, work, and play? It feels like just yesterday Mark Zuckerberg was all-in, even rebranding his entire company for it! But fast forward to today, and it seems that grand vision is slowly but surely fading away.

We’ve seen the signs, and now another major player is calling it quits. Following Meta’s decision to shut down the VR version of Meta Horizon Worlds this June (an announcement that came back in March), the popular vtuber agency Hololive has now confirmed that its ambitious metaverse project, Holoearth, is also heading for the digital graveyard.

For fans of Hololive, this news is definitely a bummer. Holoearth was envisioned as a unique “another world” where fans could interact more deeply with their favorite vtubers and connect with each other. It sounded promising, especially with Hololive being one of the biggest names in the vtuber scene. But alas, all good (and sometimes not-so-good) things must come to an end.

The Holoearth team shared a heartfelt message regarding the shutdown, expressing their deepest apologies for not being able to meet user expectations and thanking everyone for their support. “We hope that the myriad of experiences in Holoearth, the bonds formed among users, and the time spent in this world will remain with everyone as cherished memories,” they said. It’s clear they poured their hearts into it, and for that, we can appreciate their effort.

So, what went wrong? While the exact reasons for the shutdown are often complex, a key challenge for Holoearth might have been its limited capacity. Imagine thousands of vtuber fans trying to connect, only to be split into small instanced rooms of just 50 people. This likely dampened the feeling of being part of a massive, vibrant community – which was a huge part of Holoearth’s appeal in the first place.

Ikko Fukuda, the project lead for Holoearth, echoed similar sentiments, emphasizing the precious memories and connections made. He also highlighted that the technologies and lessons learned from Holoearth won’t go to waste. Instead, they’ll be carried forward into Hololive Production’s future endeavors, paving the way for new and exciting experiences. So, while Holoearth itself is closing, its spirit might live on in other forms.

The final curtain for Holoearth will fall on June 28th. If you’re still a user, here’s what you need to know: sales of the premium HoloCoin currency have already stopped. Sales of “Holoearth premium items” and user-made items will cease on June 3rd, but non-premium items will remain available until the very last moment. And don’t worry, any unused HoloCoin or Creator Points will be refunded once the service goes offline.

It’s a stark reminder that while the idea of a metaverse is captivating, actually building a sustainable and engaging one is proving to be incredibly challenging. As more projects like Holoearth and Horizon Worlds close their doors, it makes us wonder: is the metaverse still the future, or just a really expensive experiment that’s slowly running its course?