New ‘Gorilla Tag’ Mode & $2.6 Million Investment in ‘Digigods’ Highlight User-Generated Content as Key in Social VR

Gorilla Tag, one of virtual reality’s most popular games, is making waves again by solidifying a level creation mode that players had previously tested out. This innovative feature, known as ‘Monke Blocks’, allows friends to collaboratively design and then dive into their own creative environments. In other news, Digigods, an emerging social VR game, has secured a tidy $2.6 million investment. These important milestones highlight the growing trend of user-generated content (UGC) as a cornerstone for the success of social virtual reality gaming.

If you’ve been keeping an eye on social VR platforms like VRChat, Rec Room, Roblox, and Horizon Worlds, you might notice they have something in common: user-generated content. The idea seems to be that friends who build together, stay connected through these creative outlets.

From a glance, Gorilla Tag might seem like your typical multiplayer game. However, it offers much more: it’s an open playground and a spontaneous meetup spot, thanks to its easy-to-join multiplayer system where players can move from one lobby to another seamlessly.

Now, with the Monke Blocks feature becoming a permanent fixture, Gorilla Tag is deepening its social VR experience. This addition empowers players to design and enjoy their creations, making the game more interactive and community-driven.

Monke Blocks employs a straightforward, block-based system where players can snap together different pieces to create new levels. Imagine constructing intricate landscapes and then shrinking yourself to explore them up close, just like in any Gorilla Tag game. What’s fun is while some players are working on these creations, others can simultaneously explore and interact with the world in its evolving state.

Monetizing this creativity-driven feature involves players purchasing block sets with Gorilla Tag’s premium currency, ‘Shiny Rocks’. The first available set is themed around medieval castles, costing players 6,000 SR, roughly $30.

This user-generated content model is a driving force behind successful social VR games, bridging both legacy and new platforms. Looking ahead, Another Axiom, the studio behind Gorilla Tag, is working on their next title, Orion Drift. This game promises to offer a vast playground where players can chart their own adventures and eventually craft mini-games and set new rules.

Earlier this year, we noted that Yeeps, with its focus on user-generated content, reached an impressive 360,000 monthly active users. More recently, Digigods, another UGC-centered game by Squido Studio, raised $3 million, with Triptyq Capital and a range of other investors involved. This comes in the wake of Digigods’ launch in April 2024 and its rapid growth to 100,000 unique players, backed by glowing reviews averaging 4.8 out of 5 stars on Quest.

Currently, Digigods is still in Early Access, but its potential looks promising as it gears up for a full release. Clearly, UGC is the bedrock holding the most successful social VR games together, but there’s a notable schism between the old and new, particularly in how players navigate these worlds.

Older virtual reality games like Rec Room and VRChat rely on traditional thumbstick or teleportation movements. In contrast, newer titles such as Orion Drift, Yeeps, and Digigods draw inspiration from Gorilla Tag’s arm-based locomotion, setting a new trend in the genre. This distinction also marks a shift in demographic appeal, with the new arm-based systems resonating more with Gen Z than with millennials or older players.

In sum, this shift in VR gaming marks a fascinating evolution in how these virtual spaces are not only designed but also experienced by different generations. Manufacturers and developers alike are taking note, making user engagement and creativity the heart of their evolving worlds.