Meta’s Acquisition of 9 Leading VR Studios Since 2019: Developments and Impact

Sure thing. Let’s dive into this jumble of thoughts.

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So, from 2019 to 2022, Meta’s been on this wild shopping spree, grabbing up VR studios left and right. Nine in total, if you’re counting. It’s like they just couldn’t help themselves. Anyway – uh, what was I saying? Oh right, let’s chat about what’s happened over the last few years with these studios. Spoiler alert: it’s a mixed bag of wins and facepalms.

First up – Beat Games. These guys are the genius minds behind Beat Saber, which Meta snagged in 2019. Now, on paper, joining Meta sounds like a sweet deal: more resources, cool collaborations, the whole shebang. But then again, it sometimes means less wiggle room. You’re stuck babysitting the games that got you here, you know?

Beat Saber? It’s kept up with updates and cool DLC from big artists. And oh, they added multiplayer – finally! But mixed reality and custom sabers? Still MIA. Maybe they got lost in the shuffle. But honestly, no game-changing tweaks to the original Beat Saber formula. Feels like they were gearing up for a fresh project. Yet, nada. Six years flew by…and zip.

Oh, and FYI: Beat Saber ditched the PSVR/2 gig in 2025. No updates there anymore. Even the multiplayer’s biting the dust early 2026. But hey, they’re teasing something big is coming. Fingers crossed it’s not just more pop hits as DLC.

Now, there’s Sanzaru Games. Known for Asgard’s Wrath. Meta scooped them in 2020 hoping for more VR adventures. Fast-forward to 2023, and voilà – Asgard’s Wrath 2 lands! They crammed it onto Quest 2 and 3, which I guess was no small feat. It got a decent reception, hitting 4.2 out of 5 in reviews. But man, it took forever – like four years! And now it’s coasting on autopilot with news that they’re cooking up their “next big thing.” Whatever that means. Let’s hope we don’t wait another decade.

Okay, here’s a twist – Ready at Dawn. This studio gave us Lone Echo and Echo VR. Meta came knocking in 2020, ready to jump in. They finally put out Lone Echo II in 2021 for Rift, but everyone was all, “C’mon, let’s get Echo VR on Quest!” – but no deal. Then, only three years post-acquisition, Echo VR went dark. Mysterious, right? Fans were bummed, but it seemed like a new project was on the horizon. And then 2024 hits. Boom, Meta shuts the studio. Just like that. Thanks for the memories, I guess?

Downpour Interactive next – remember Onward? The VR game folks were digging. Meta picked them up in 2021, thinking, “Hey, let’s supercharge this thing!” The Quest version was rough at first but shaped up nicely. But in 2023… layoffs hit. Founder Dante Buckley even bounced a month before that. Yikes. By 2025, Meta’s over it, shutting Downpour down. Onward’s still kicking, server-wise, but feels like it’s on borrowed time.

And on that cheery note… what’s next? Who knows. Maybe Meta’s got a few surprises left. Or maybe it’s more of the same VR shuffle dance. We’ll see.

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That’s it, and it’s a trip, huh? Let me know what you think.