Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney recently defended the metaverse’s potential and growth after a Business Insider article declared it dead. However, contrary to the article’s claims, the metaverse continues to expand, with millions of users actively participating in various virtual worlds.
Metaverse Skepticism: A Premature Verdict
In an article titled “RIP Metaverse, we hardly knew ye,” PR firm CEO Ed Zitron suggested that the metaverse, once a highly anticipated technology, has been abandoned by the business world.
The article highlighted Meta’s virtual reality (VR) platform Horizon Worlds, claiming that it failed to fulfill its ambitious goal of becoming the future of the internet.
Additionally, Zitron cited Decentraland and Yuga Labs’ Otherside as examples of metaverse projects that haven’t lived up to their hype, stating that investors are now focusing on the next big tech trend—generative AI.
Tim Sweeney’s Defense of the Metaverse
Disagreeing with the article’s assertions, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney took to Twitter to remind everyone of the metaverse’s ongoing growth. Sweeney pointed out 600 million users across virtual world platforms such as Fortnite, Minecraft, Roblox, The Sandbox, and VR Chat.
In a tongue-in-cheek response, Sweeney tweeted, “The metaverse is dead! Let’s organize an online wake so that we 600,000,000 monthly active users in Fortnite, Minecraft, Roblox, PUBG Mobile, Sandbox, and VRChat can mourn its passing together in real-time 3D.” Sandbox CEO Sebastien Borget echoed Sweeney’s sentiment soon after.
In April 2022, Epic Games announced a $2 billion funding round to accelerate its plans for the metaverse. This investment included a $1 billion contribution from Sony Group and KIRKBI, the holding company behind the LEGO Group. The announcement followed the news that LEGO Group and Epic Games were entering a long-term partnership to build a family-friendly metaverse.
While neither company has revealed specific details about their collaboration, LEGO Group CEO Niels Christiansen told the Financial Times that more information would be announced soon.
The Metaverse’s Bright Future
Despite some skeptics’ claims that the metaverse is dead, evidence suggests otherwise. With millions of users engaging in various virtual worlds and major companies investing billions in metaverse development, the technology’s potential continues to grow.
As Epic Games and LEGO Group work together to build a family-friendly metaverse, we can anticipate further expansion and innovation in the virtual world space.
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