Top Metaverse Companies in 2022: Roadmap Recaps
by corporate trash
2/17/2022
Since MomentRanks first wrote about different metaverse platforms in 2021, there have been many new Metaverse companies which are building their own virtual worlds, using NFTs as the building blocks.
Currently, there is no one singular metaverse. There are many metaverse companies trying to bring in users, and other NFT companies integrating into those metaverse platforms. Each metaverse company has their own unique qualities, some focused more on gaming than others.
2022 metaverse company roadmaps have shown ambition like never before, as projects weave more gaming, land, and native tokens into the equation. Let’s check out some of the top metaverse companies (plus some newcomers) and their big plans for this year, so you can decide which is best for you.
Decentraland: 2022 Roadmap
Founded in 2017, Decentraland is one of the largest virtual worlds. There is no central server, meaning it is truly decentralized. Its content is run from its usersβ computers, all around the world. Its native cryptocurrency is MANA, which users can spend to buy land or access experiences.
In 2022, Decentraland is building a desktop client, a mobile app, and a VR client to experience all of Decentraland in 3D. They are focused on bringing their expansive world to as many people as possible.
Avatar customization is going to be more important than ever as NFT collectors aim to bring their online persona into the metaverse. One major new feature is the ability to bring linked NFTs as wearables into Decentraland, meaning your CryptoPunk (for example) will be able to be the head of your avatar. More NFT integration into metaverses is exactly what NFT holders are looking for.
Performance will also improve, as the SDK (the set of tools and libraries used to build inside the world) will be optimized for a more fluid experience. We all know what it’s like to have a slow computer trying to keep up with Decentraland, so this is a welcome update on the roadmap.
For more information, you can see all the details of their 2022 roadmap here.
The Sandbox Game Roadmap
The Sandbox Game is one of the fastest-growing virtual worlds, where gaming is the main use case. Players, curators, creators, and landowners use SAND (their native cryptocurrency) to buy assets and experiences on the platform.
This platform has continual sales of their finite LAND supply, where many different NFT projects have invested in large plots to create virtual experiences for their communities. Some of the biggest names include Bored Ape Yacht Club, Gutter Cat Gang, ZED Run, Atari, and many more.
The Sandbox Game kicked off 2022 by opening the game’s playable Alpha for the first time to a small group. Season 2 of the Alpha will be coming out soon along with Mac compatibility.
Also early in 2022, the Sandbox Game also announced a major partnership with Warner Music Group to create the first music-themed world in the metaverse. After discovering a vulnerability in the contract, The Sandbox Game also migrated LANDS to a new one for an extra layer of security.
Q2 will launch The Sandbox DAO in order to make major decisions for the future of the platform, governed by the community. In Q3, the first virtual concerts will take place, and the Walking Dead Game will launch. Finally, in Q4, a mobile version of The Sandbox Game is set to become.
For additional information on the roadmap, check it out here.
Somnium Space
Somnium Space is a virtual world focused on VR asset creation and monetization. Using Somnium Cubes (their native cryptocurrency), users can buy and sell properties for use cases like gaming, conferencing, e-commerce, and other events. You can see these upcoming events on their events page.
Many praise Somnium Space for its many galleries and events with popular NFT projects like Immadegen and Hashmasks. Its graphics quality is extremely high, making it almost too realistic!
With Somnium Space, you can also walk around in the universe today with Oculus Quest 2.
A public dev board is available for upcoming features. For more information, check out the roadmap board here.
Cryptovoxels
Cryptovoxels is a virtual world that is currently much smaller than some of the others listed here. However, anyone can access the Cryptovoxels world as a guest, without signing up, making it one of the easiest to get started in and navigate. Its Minecraft-like builder also makes it easy for people to build within the universe.
Cryptovoxels doesn’t have a timeline or typical roadmap, and instead goes with a more reactive approach. Bugs are fixed as they are encountered, and the community helps decide what improvements should be prioritized or what new functionality they have on-platform.
If their newly open positions are any indication, Cryptovoxels is focused on perfecting their graphics and optimizing performance in 2022.
To keep up with the latest on Cryptovoxels, check them out on Twitter.
NFT Worlds
Even though NFT Worlds were minted in October 2021, the project has already become extremely popular within the NFT community, with the project’s floor skyrocketing in just a few short months.
NFT Worlds describes itself as “a fully decentralized, fully customizable, community driven, play to earn gaming platform where world owners can create their own limitless metaverse games or experiences for players or exclusive communities within their worlds.”
The unique part about NFT Worlds is that it is build on Minecraft’s open-source ecosystem. The expansion of this world will enable new types of 3D gaming experiences on Ethereum. Every NFT World land is different and has specific features and resources.
After it launched its $WRLD token at the end of 2021, NFT Worlds has introduced multiplayer and the ability to be played across platforms. Coming up in Q1 of 22, you’ll be able to stake your worlds to earn $WRLD, be able to voice chat with other players, and the platform will partner with other NFTs for 3D avatar compatibility.
In April, the platform will announce Roadmap 2.0.
Recently, RTFKT bought a piece of NFT Worlds land, leading to plenty of speculation that RTFKT β Nike’s new metaverse vertical β will be building on NFT Worlds.
For additional information on the NFT Worlds roadmap, check it out here.
Other Metaverse Platforms to Watch
BYOVerse is the upcoming world of BYOPills, which includes BYOLand, Apostles, BYOVapes, BYOCrafts, and of course BYOPills. Their native token $TRYP, set to release in 2022, powers the universe.
Treeverse describes itself as “an open-world social game for people interested in NFTs, you can check out other peoples collections, visit their homes where they can organize their favorite pieces, join guilds (communities) in the future if they own a specific NFT.” It is based off of the early 2021 NFT project NFTrees, and includes land, characters, and of course trees.
House of Kibaa Metaverse doesn’t have much information out about it yet, but a Twitter preview looks to be ultra-realistic using Unreal Engine technology. House of Kibaa specializes in 3D production and has made avatars for NFT projects like Gutter Cat Gang.
tl;dr: 2022 Metaverse Company Roadmap Recaps
As NFT adoption becomes more widespread, various metaverse platforms are continuing to fight for innovation and more users. Large gaming studios and technology companies are getting involved in the metaverse, and time will tell how that will affect the plans of each of these platforms.
Decentraland, The Sandbox Game, Somnium Space, Cryptovoxels, and NFT Worlds each have different strengths and focuses. Some platforms specialize in gaming, some in graphics, some in land monetization, and some in true decentralized protocols.
Ultimately, the most successful platforms will be once that can attract and retain users. After all, nobody wants to hang out in the metaverse alone.