Meta and the UFC have teamed up to create a special UFC-themed environment within Meta’s Horizon Worlds social VR platform, as outlined in a recent Meta blog post. Within this UFC zone, users can enjoy 4K, 180-degree live streams of fights, interact with fellow players about UFC topics, explore a virtual rendition of the Octagon, and participate in in-world games to earn unique rewards and potentially attain the title of “UFC Hall of Famer.” This dedicated space is scheduled to launch in November.
While I’m not a follower of UFC, I don’t anticipate spending much time in this zone. Nevertheless, the introduction of a distinct UFC area in Horizon Worlds is just one example of Meta’s efforts to enhance user engagement on the platform, which has reportedly faced challenges in retaining users. Recently, Meta introduced an in-Horizon first-person shooter game called Super Rumble, which is said to be the first of many improved experiences in Horizon Worlds featuring enhanced graphics, deeper gameplay, quests, and rewards.
Such experiences, including Super Rumble and the upcoming UFC-themed zone, could hold significance as Meta extends the availability of Horizon Worlds from VR to other platforms. The anticipated mobile version of Horizon Worlds may be launched soon (possibly at the Connect event on September 27th), and Meta is also developing a web-based version of the application.
Meta’s recent blog post also provides a schedule of upcoming UFC fights that VR users can watch through the Xtadium app on Quest headsets with a UFC Fight Pass subscription. One could speculate that Meta’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, who has participated in Jiu-Jitsu, might also be interested in these virtual UFC experiences, unless he’s busy training in his own backyard octagon.
