Meta is shutting down VR social platform Horizon Worlds in further pivot away from the metaverse

Core Viewpoint - Meta is shutting down Horizon Worlds, a virtual reality social network, which was a significant part of its metaverse strategy [1][3] Group 1: Announcement Details - Horizon Worlds will be removed from the Quest store by the end of March and will be fully taken down from VR by June 15, transitioning to a mobile-only experience [2] - The company stated that separating the platforms will allow each to grow with greater focus [2] Group 2: Context and Background - The decision follows a recent layoff of over 1,000 employees from Reality Labs, the division responsible for the metaverse, impacting studios that were developing VR content [3] - When Meta rebranded from Facebook in October 2021, CEO Mark Zuckerberg emphasized the metaverse as "the next frontier," with aspirations for it to reach a billion users and generate significant digital commerce within a decade [4]