Rec Room, a social gaming platform that allowed users to create games and experiences, will shut down on June 1, 2026. This decision comes after the company struggled to turn a profit, despite reaching over 150 million players and creators since its launch.

Before this announcement, Rec Room was valued at $3.5 billion and was seen as a strong alternative to platforms like Roblox. However, the company’s leadership admitted, “we never quite figured out how to make Rec Room a sustainably profitable business.” This statement highlights the challenges faced by the platform in monetizing its user base effectively.

The shutdown announcement follows significant layoffs, with Rec Room reducing its workforce by 50% in August 2025. These cuts were part of a broader strategy to address financial difficulties, but ultimately, they were not enough to prevent the closure.

Despite the impending shutdown, Rec Room maintained a loyal user base. One fan expressed their sadness over the news, stating, “Sad to see it go. Its how I survived most of covid and was a huge way to feel connected to IRL’s I couldn’t see due to it.” This sentiment reflects the emotional impact the platform had on its users, particularly during challenging times.

As Rec Room prepares to close its doors, it serves as a case study in the difficulties of sustaining a social gaming platform in a competitive market. Other companies, such as Meta and Epic Games, continue to explore ways to engage users and generate revenue, but Rec Room’s experience underscores the complexities involved.

The decision to shut down Rec Room is a significant shift in the landscape of social gaming, where user engagement does not always translate to financial success. The platform’s closure may prompt discussions within the industry about the sustainability of similar ventures.

In summary, Rec Room’s journey from a promising startup to an impending shutdown illustrates the challenges of profitability in the gaming industry. As the date approaches, both users and industry observers will be watching closely to see how this development unfolds.

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In a landmark ruling, Meta and Google were found liable for intentionally creating addictive platforms that harm young users. The California jury ordered Meta to pay $375 million in civil penalties for misleading consumers about the safety of its platforms, marking a significant moment in the ongoing scrutiny of Big Tech.

The lawsuit, initiated by the New Mexico attorney general’s office in December 2023, highlighted serious concerns regarding the impact of social media on mental health. The jury determined that Meta was liable for enabling harm, including child sexual exploitation, against its users. This ruling is seen as a pivotal step in holding tech companies accountable for their practices.

Meta’s liability extends beyond financial penalties; the jury found that the company disregarded warnings from its own employees about the risks associated with its platforms. Executives from Meta testified during the trial that harms to children were inevitable due to the vast user bases of their platforms. This admission underscores the challenges that social media companies face in balancing user engagement with safety.

During the trial, which lasted almost seven weeks, the jury deliberated for about one day before reaching their verdict. The maximum penalty of $5,000 per violation under New Mexico’s consumer protection laws was applied, with Meta responsible for 70% of the collective fine of $3 million imposed on both Meta and Google.

Raúl Torrez, the New Mexico attorney general, characterized the jury’s verdict as a historic victory for every child and family affected by Meta’s prioritization of profits over safety. “The era of Big Tech invincibility is over,” stated Sacha Haworth, reflecting a growing sentiment among advocates for stricter regulations on technology companies.

Meta has announced plans to appeal the ruling regarding the $375 million fine, indicating that the company intends to challenge the jury’s findings. A spokesperson for Meta stated, “We respectfully disagree with the verdict and are evaluating our legal options,” suggesting that the legal battle is far from over.

Concerns about social media addiction and its psychological impacts, such as body dysmorphia and depression, were central to the lawsuit. Observers note that this case may set a precedent for future litigation against tech companies, particularly as public sentiment continues to shift regarding the role of social media in society. As the implications of this ruling unfold, the tech industry will be closely watching how it affects regulatory approaches and consumer protection laws.

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Since rebranding from Facebook to Meta, the company has invested a staggering $80 billion in the metaverse, making it the single largest investor in the VR industry. Despite the shutdown of Horizon Worlds, Meta’s VR hardware line will continue to operate, indicating that the company remains committed to its broader vision of virtual reality.

In the context of VR training, Walmart has been utilizing VR-based training for its contact center agents since 2021. A recent survey revealed that the average annual turnover rate for contact center employees has reached 60% in 2023. In response, Walmart implemented VR training programs that significantly reduced total training time for associates from eight hours to just 15 minutes. Furthermore, employee satisfaction scores at Walmart rose by 30% following the introduction of VR training, with associates scoring 10-15% higher on post-training assessments.

Industry experts, such as Marty Resnick, predict that by 2026, 25% of people will spend at least one hour a day in the metaverse for various activities, including work, shopping, education, and entertainment. Additionally, he forecasts that 30% of organizations worldwide will have products and services ready for the metaverse by the same year. Resnick emphasizes the importance of product managers taking the time to learn and prepare for the metaverse to remain competitive.

Despite the challenges faced by Horizon Worlds, Meta’s commitment to developing a robust roadmap for future VR headsets tailored to different audience segments suggests that the company is not abandoning its metaverse ambitions. The metaverse as a customer-facing service channel, however, has yet to materialize in any meaningful way, raising questions about the long-term viability of certain investments in the sector.

As the metaverse landscape evolves, observers are keen to see how Meta’s shift in strategy will impact its position within the VR industry and whether other companies will follow suit. The closure of Horizon Worlds may signal a broader trend of companies reassessing their investments in virtual reality as they navigate the complexities of user engagement and technology adoption.

Details remain unconfirmed regarding the specific features and functionalities that the new mobile app will offer, as well as how it will differentiate itself from the existing VR platform. As Meta continues to explore the future of the metaverse, the industry watches closely to see how these changes will shape the virtual reality landscape in the coming years.

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Meta is set to shut down Horizon Worlds, its virtual reality social platform, on June 15, 2026. This decision follows the company’s broader pivot towards the metaverse, which began with its rebranding from Facebook in October 2021. Horizon Worlds, once a cornerstone of Meta’s VR strategy, will transition to a mobile-only experience after the shutdown, as confirmed in a community blog post.

The app will be removed from the Quest store on March 31, 2026, marking a significant reduction in Meta’s VR offerings. Prior to this announcement, Meta had cut over 1,000 employees from Reality Labs, the division responsible for developing the metaverse, indicating a shift in focus and resources.

Despite the closure, Meta has reiterated its commitment to virtual reality as a format. The company has outlined a roadmap for future VR headsets tailored to different audience segments, suggesting that while Horizon Worlds may be ending, the pursuit of a comprehensive metaverse experience continues.

Horizon Worlds has faced criticism since its inception, particularly regarding its visual quality and user engagement levels. Observers noted that the platform has never achieved significant popularity, with some suggesting that its increasing visibility in Meta Quest feeds has only amplified these criticisms. As one commentator put it, “It does feel like the end of an era.”

Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, has previously expressed ambitious goals for the metaverse, stating, “Our hope is that within the next decade, the metaverse will reach a billion people, host hundreds of billions of dollars of digital commerce, and support jobs for millions of creators and developers.” This vision underscores the importance of the metaverse in Meta’s long-term strategy.

As Meta continues to navigate the complexities of the virtual reality landscape, the closure of Horizon Worlds raises questions about the future of its other metaverse initiatives. The company is likely to focus on refining its offerings and addressing the challenges that have hindered user engagement in its VR platforms.

Details remain unconfirmed regarding how this shift will impact Meta’s broader metaverse ambitions and whether new platforms will emerge to fill the void left by Horizon Worlds. Observers will be watching closely to see how Meta adapts its strategy in response to these challenges and what new developments may arise in the coming years.

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Yann LeCun, a prominent figure in artificial intelligence and former head of Facebook AI Research, has launched Advanced Machine Intelligence (AMI), successfully raising $1.03 billion based on a $3.50 billion pre-money valuation. This move comes after LeCun departed from Meta at the end of 2025, where he had been instrumental in shaping the company’s AI strategies.

Meta’s AI Reorganization

In June 2025, Meta reorganized its AI efforts under a new division called Meta Superintelligence Labs, aiming to enhance its capabilities in the rapidly evolving AI landscape. LeCun’s departure marks a significant shift for the company, which has been focusing on refining its AI products.

Competition with TikTok

As LeCun establishes AMI, TikTok is aggressively pursuing advertising dollars from independent agencies, aiming to close the gap between its Smart+ advertising products and Meta’s Advantage+. This competition highlights the ongoing battle for dominance in the digital advertising space.

Challenges for Meta’s Advantage+

Despite its advancements, Meta’s Advantage+ has faced criticism for bugs that have irritated users, raising questions about its effectiveness in the competitive market. Observers note that TikTok’s strategy allows it to focus on attracting ad dollars and creators, potentially giving it an edge over Meta.

Looking Ahead

LeCun has expressed his ambition for AMI, stating, “We want to become the main provider of intelligent systems, regardless of what the application is.” His vision reflects a broader trend in AI development, where the focus is shifting towards creating systems that can operate autonomously and reason at human levels.

Public Concerns

In the context of these developments, public concerns about the misuse of AI tools remain prevalent. LeCun has previously emphasized the importance of transparency, stating, “We don’t want to sacrifice the freedoms we’ve got in this country, but at the same time the public have a right to know what information they’re being fed and the tool is being misused here just like anything can be misused.”

As the AI landscape continues to evolve, the competition between Meta and TikTok will likely intensify, with both companies striving to innovate and capture market share.

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On March 3, 2026, Facebook experienced a significant outage that affected users globally. Thousands reported issues accessing the platform, with more than 11,000 problem reports logged on Downdetector.

By 9:47 PM GMT, over 1,600 reports had been logged in the UK alone, while nearly 10,000 users in the US faced similar problems. Users from various locations, including Indonesia, Ireland, Canada, the Philippines, Greece, and Australia, also reported difficulties.

Nature of the Issues

The majority of complaints, approximately 60%, were related to the Facebook website itself, while 16% pertained to login issues. Many users encountered an error message stating: “Account Temporarily Unavailable. Your account is currently unavailable due to a site issue. We expect this to be resolved shortly. Please try again in a few minutes.”

Brandon Wenerd, a social media observer, commented, “I’ve seen a lot over the years, but I don’t think I’ve seen Facebook go down on the user side like this in many, many years.” This sentiment reflects the unusual nature of the outage, as Facebook has maintained a relatively stable service in recent times.

User Experiences

Reports from users indicated a variety of issues. One user noted, “Down. worked briefly for a bit and then back down again.” Another shared their experience before receiving the error message, stating, “Before I got the ‘account temporarily unavailable due to a site issue’ message I am getting now, it wasn’t allowing me to read or comment on anything and only load a couple posts in my feed at a time before ‘please try again’.”

Current Status and Next Steps

As of now, the cause of the outage remains unclear, and details regarding the duration of the disruption are unconfirmed. Facebook’s parent company, Meta, has not yet provided an official statement addressing the issues.

This outage is significant not only for the millions of users affected but also for the broader implications it may have on social media reliability and user trust. As the situation develops, users and stakeholders alike will be watching closely for updates from Facebook and Meta.

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The stock price of Meta Platforms, Inc. (formerly known as Facebook, Inc.) has garnered substantial attention in the investment community as of 2023. With ongoing developments in artificial intelligence, metaverse initiatives, and shifts in advertising revenue strategies, understanding the trajectory of Meta’s stock price has become crucial for existing and prospective investors. This article will provide an overview of the recent trends in Meta’s stock price, factors influencing it, and what the future may hold.

Recent Stock Performance

As of early October 2023, Meta’s stock has experienced significant fluctuations, primarily influenced by broader market trends and company-specific news. Currently, the stock is trading around £285, down from a high of £320 earlier in the year. Analysts attribute this decline to several factors, including increased competition in the digital advertising space and broader economic concerns affecting tech stocks.

Factors Impacting Meta’s Stock Price

1. Earnings Reports

Meta reported its quarterly earnings in September, surpassing analysts’ expectations with earnings of £1.83 per share, though revenue growth was slower than predicted. This performance highlights the challenges the company faces in maintaining its leading position in social media and advertising, despite strong users’ engagement.

2. Metaverse Investments

The company’s ongoing investments in the metaverse, particularly with its Reality Labs division, have been a double-edged sword for its stock price. While many see the potential long-term gains from these investments, critics argue that the short-term costs are weighing heavily on Meta’s financials.

3. Market Environment

The broader economic environment, marked by rising interest rates and inflation, is another factor contributing to the volatility in Meta’s stock price. Investors are keeping a close eye on how these economic indicators will affect consumer spending and advertising budgets, key components of Meta’s revenue stream.

Conclusion

In summary, Meta’s stock price continues to be shaped by a blend of internal performance metrics and external market conditions. As the company transitions into new technologies while navigating competitive pressures and economic challenges, investors are urged to remain vigilant. Future developments, particularly in the metaverse and advertising sectors, will likely play a pivotal role in determining the stock’s trajectory. For investors, keeping abreast of these changes will be essential for making informed decisions in the fluctuating landscape of technology stock investments.

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