Meta Spins Out VR Fitness Game Supernatural Instead of Killing It

Meta's ambitious bid to pioneer a metaverse and popularize virtual reality has largely flopped, but one notable exception has emerged: Supernatural, a VR fitness game that made exercise enjoyable and accessible. The game studio behind Supernatural, Within, was acquired by Meta in 2023 for approximately $400 million, after which the company navigated an eight-month antitrust battle. However, despite the significant investment, Meta subsequently laid off much of its VR team and announced plans to discontinue new content for the game.

This move sparked outrage among Supernatural users, who protested the app's impending demise. In a surprise reversal, Meta has now allowed the Supernatural team to spin off into a new independent company called Supernatural Health, which will take over the app later this year. The company's founders, who originally developed Supernatural, will be at the helm.

According to Supernatural Health's website, the team remains committed to making fitness enjoyable, stating that the app is being "reborn" with the "same coaches, same DNA, same obsession with making fitness feel like the best part of your day — now under a new, independent company we're starting from the ground up." The unexpected turn of events has been met with relief from the Supernatural community. As one user expressed in the public Supernatural Facebook group: "Like so many of us I was so devastated when the coaches were let go and we were told our beloved Supernatural, while we loved it and it was great, would never get any better than it was. What we had was what we had.

We all felt like it was purchased to kill." Supernatural Health acknowledged Meta's support throughout the transition, stating that it is "grateful for the platform and resources Meta provided during a critical growth phase."