Rec Room Is Shutting Down: What Happened and Alternatives

Rec Room, the cross-platform social VR game once valued at $3.5 billion, is shutting down on June 1, 2026, due to inability to become profitable despite 150 million users, ending access to all rooms, accounts, and Studio services.

Status

Rec Room is shutting down.

Estimated timeline

Service ends June 1, 2026, at noon Pacific Time.

Category

Social VR / Metaverse

What is happening?

Rec Room, a popular social VR and cross-platform game known for its user-created rooms and casual minigames, has announced it will shut down on June 1, 2026. The Seattle-based developer, Against Gravity, cited sustained financial losses and a tough path to profitability even after serving over 150 million players and once reaching a $3.5 billion valuation.

The shutdown follows layoffs and earlier signs of strain, including staff cuts in 2025 and shifting market conditions in VR and gaming after the post-pandemic slump. After June 1, users will no longer be able to log in, rec.net will go offline, and backend services for Rec Room Studio will stop, effectively ending all active play and community features.

Ahead of the closure, the company has frozen new account creation, new friend requests, and new Rec Room Plus subscriptions, while also phasing out token purchases and creator payouts. Users are encouraged to download personal content and memories before the platform goes dark.

Best alternatives

  • VRChat

    Multiplayer social VR platform with user-built worlds and avatars, strong community focus.

  • Roblox

    Cross-platform creation and gameplay platform where users build and share games.

  • Fortnite Creative

    Custom islands and experiences inside Fortnite's social universe.

  • Meta Horizon Worlds

    Meta's social VR space for meeting friends and playing experiences.

  • Gather

    Browser-based 2D/3D virtual office and social spaces with avatars and video.

  • Topia

    Shared 3D virtual worlds for events, collaboration, and social gameplay.

  • Hubs by Mozilla

    Open-source 3D collaboration spaces that run in the browser for meetings and hangouts.

  • AltspaceVR (historical)

    Community-driven social VR events and spaces (now defunct but similar to newer platforms).

  • Meta Horizon Venues

    Queue-free VR app for watching live and prerecorded events together.

  • Spatial

    Browser-and-VR-based 3D collaboration rooms for meetings, events, and creative work.