Stop asking if the metaverse is dead. Ask if it’s designed right

What’s failing isn’t the platform. It’s the way we’re using it.

When experiences feel like ads, they fail

Virtual spaces fall flat when brands treat them like media buys – dropping in 3D billboards or TVCs. These tactics don’t resonate with audiences raised in gaming environments. If the experience feels like an ad, users log off.

But when we build with community at the core – designing for participation and cultural relevance, not just reach – immersive spaces still deliver something traditional channels rarely do: quality engagement.

For example, that’s the philosophy behind Virtual Vibes 2025, a Roblox-based music festival in Poland developed by Game Changer in partnership with Bank Millennium, Pepsi, and Doritos. The event didn’t set out to promote financial products. Its aim was to create a space that felt native to culture – one where young people could come together, play, explore, and experience live music.

The results are impressive: 400,000 participants joined the 2025 edition – a 33% increase from the previous year. The average session time hit 25.5 minutes. And, across platforms, the campaign generated nearly 25 million total views.

Most tellingly, the KPI focus this year shifted – from clickthrough rates to session time and participation, recognizing that in virtual spaces, engagement is measured not in impressions but in immersion.

Crucially, inclusion was part of the brief from the start. Sign-language interpretation, audio descriptions, and completely free access made the event more accessible than many IRL festivals. That authenticity – not just the tech – is what made it work.

So, what does this tell marketers looking to upgrade their metaverse design?

Five ways to boost brands’ metaverse experience

1. Earn minutes, not impressions. In immersive environments, the real currency is time. Long sessions allow richer stories, deeper education, and multi-touch brand moments in a single visit – without fighting for attention each time.
2. Build where your audience already lives. Roblox, Fortnite or ZEPETO are social stages for Gen Z and Alpha. Designing experiences for these native behaviors unlocks cultural traction. One such native behavior is the fact that users don’t just log in: they roam, jumping between games, experiences, and social hangouts. So instead of porting a TVC into 3D, brands do well when they give them something worth discovering. That could be a virtual event with influencers or artists who feel culturally relevant, or avatar items and apparel drops that tap into scarcity mechanics. The opportunities are endless – as long as the experience feels native to the way users already behave.
3. Make participation the product. Virtual spaces thrive on interaction – quests, unlockables, co-creation tools. If users can’t build it or wear it, they’ll likely skip it. Brand zones let people do these things. Think sliding into a pool full of Pepsi or beating a Doritos obstacle course to unlock a chip-themed outfit.
4. Orchestrate beyond the world. The metaverse is most powerful when it's part of a broader media mix. Extend experiences across live streams, social platforms, and even physical spaces like cinemas or events. The more touchpoints, the stronger the impact.
5. Design for inclusion from the start. Free access, sign-language interpretation, and audio description expanded who could attend and how they experienced the show. Accessibility isn’t an add-on; it’s a growth strategy that widens audiences and earns goodwill.

Why this matters now

If the metaverse has lost its ‘shiny new toy’ hype, that’s good news. It forces marketers to treat it as a system. Roblox has matured into a daily habit platform – a cultural infrastructure for younger generations. The challenge for brands is no longer, should we be there? But, how do we design experiences that feel native and inclusive?

The fact that the Virtual Vibes event took place in Poland is no accident. It’s proof that innovation in virtual worlds doesn’t have to come from Silicon Valley or tech giants. It can come from markets where brands and agencies deeply understand their audiences and design with communities in mind.

So, no, the metaverse isn’t dead – it’s just waiting for better design.