Meta mercifully spun out VR fitness game Supernatural instead of just killing it
Meta has decided to spin off the VR fitness game Supernatural into an independent company called Supernatural Health. This decision comes after an eight-month antitrust battle and significant layoffs within Meta's VR team. Users of Supernatural expressed relief and gratitude for the app's continuation under its original founders.
- ▪Meta acquired Within, the studio behind Supernatural, for around $400 million in 2023.
- ▪After laying off much of its VR team, Meta announced it would stop adding new content to Supernatural.
- ▪Supernatural Health will take over the app later this year, allowing it to operate independently.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Meta’s attempt to pioneer a metaverse and make VR cool totally flopped, except for one shining diamond in the rough: Supernatural, a VR fitness game that made working out feel fun and accessible. Now, users can rejoice that Supernatural isn’t shutting down after all. Meta went through the hassle of fighting an eight-month antitrust battle so that it could acquire Within, the game studio that made Supernatural, in 2023. The deal was reportedly worth around $400 million, plus however much it costs to fight and win an FTC lawsuit. Yet after all that effort, Meta laid off much of its VR team and announced that it would stop adding new content just a few years later. But Meta had a rare moment of mercy and listened to the Supernatural users who protested the app’s sad fate.
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