Photo Credit: Meta
Meta has announced a new $50 million Creator Fund alongside the release of its Meta Horizon Worlds desktop editor. The social media giant is hoping to find developers to build experiences for its mixed reality headsets—much like Roblox’s worlds.
Meta says by investing in mobile content, the company can reach people who don’t yet own a Quest headset and grow the pie for everyone. As part of the announcement of the Creator Fund for both mobile and mixed reality worlds, they’ve also debuted their first creator competition with a focus on mobile.
Now any creator of mobile and mixed reality worlds in eligible countries can earn through the revamped Meta Horizon Creator Program. The program is currently available in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada. It is expanding today to include Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and Taiwan.
Each month, Meta will pay out bonuses from the Creator Fund to the makers of fun and engaging mobile and MR worlds. Bonuses will be tied to the worlds’ contributions to the overall ecosystem across time spent, retention, and in-world purchases—so there are a variety of ways for creators to maximize their earnings. The $1 million mobile-focused competition is launching on March 11.
Any creator aged 13+ in a country where Horizon Worlds is available can download the new desktop editor in early access and begin creating. The desktop editor maps to traditional 2D and 3D development workflows, letting creators build new worlds on their PC.
It supports new features like custom model import for building high-fidelity worlds, TypeScript support for complex game logic, and mobile optimization tools that let creators build more fun, interactive experiences. In the United States, the editor also includes generative AI tools like sound effects and ambient audio generation.
The move is similar to one made by Roblox, establishing a Creator Fund to support creators making islands within the game. The only difference is that the Roblox Creator Fund gives money upfront, unlike other traditional models that reward creators based on the number of plays or engagement.