Meta Reverses Plan, Keeps Horizon Worlds on Quest for Existing Games
Meta will keep Horizon Worlds running in VR for existing games while shifting most development to mobile and the Horizon Engine.
Overview
Meta reversed a prior shutdown plan and will keep Horizon Worlds working in VR for existing games, CTO Andrew Bosworth said in an Instagram AMA.
The reversal follows an earlier announcement that Horizon Worlds would be removed from the Quest Store and fully removed from headsets on June 15, and a February shift toward mobile focus.
Bosworth said fans reached out, prompting the change, and Meta confirmed the reversal in an email on Thursday.
Meta cut roughly 1,000 to 1,500 Reality Labs employees and that division has lost about $73 billion since 2021, while the mobile Horizon Worlds app has about 45 million downloads and consumers spent roughly $1.1 million.
Meta said it will not add new Horizon Worlds games to VR, will prioritize mobile development and the Horizon Engine, and games built on the Horizon Unity runtime will remain available in VR.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame Meta as retreating from an overhyped metaverse by using evaluative language ('killing,' 'shallow husk'), emphasizing layoffs, losses, and waning headset sales, while highlighting Bosworth's quotes as source content. Editorial choices prioritize decline narratives and mobile pivot, marginalizing counterexamples or broader corporate strategy context.
FAQ
By March 31, 2026, Horizon Worlds and Events will no longer appear in the Quest Store, and worlds like Horizon Central, Events Arena, Kaiju, and Bobber Bay will be unavailable in VR. Existing worlds remain accessible until June 15, 2026, after which the Horizon Worlds app is removed from Quest.
Meta reversed the full shutdown after fans reached out, as acknowledged by CTO Andrew Bosworth in an Instagram AMA, prompting the company to maintain VR support for existing games while shifting new development to mobile.
Meta is prioritizing mobile development for Horizon Worlds and the Horizon Engine, separating the Quest VR platform from Worlds to focus each independently, with no new Horizon Worlds games added to VR.
The mobile Horizon Worlds app has achieved about 45 million downloads, and consumers have spent roughly $1.1 million on it.
