Title: Meta Spins Out VR Fitness Title Supernatural Rather Than Terminating It

Meta’s ambitious push to define the metaverse and revitalize virtual reality largely failed, with one notable exception: Supernatural, a VR fitness application that transformed exercise into an engaging and approachable experience. Fortunately, fans of the app can now celebrate its survival. In 2023, Meta endured the complexities of an eight-month antitrust dispute to secure the acquisition of Within, the studio behind Supernatural, for a reported $400 million—a sum that likely ballooned further with legal fees. However, mere years later, Meta reduced its VR workforce and halted new content development for the platform.

In a surprising reversal, Meta heeded the outcry from the Supernatural community regarding the app’s uncertain future. Approximately five months after the shutdown announcement, Meta agreed to allow the Supernatural team to operate as a separate entity, Supernatural Health, which will assume control of the application later this year. “Supernatural is being reborn. 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 new company stated on its website.

The leadership of Supernatural Health remains with the original founders. While this outcome offers a positive conclusion, the sequence of events is frustratingly convoluted. The situation resembles a high schooler’s elaborate prom proposal followed by a tense meeting with parents to demonstrate sincerity, only for the couple to split up immediately after the dance. Supernatural Health expressed gratitude for Meta’s support during its growth phase, noting, “This transition reflects a shared belief that Supernatural’s community is best served by a focused, independent team. Meta has been supportive throughout.”

Despite the relief that the community has avoided being crushed by big tech, the entire ordeal remains baffling. One user in the public Supernatural Facebook group shared their emotional reaction to the initial layoff news: “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.” Another user added, “I am such a sap. Why am I tearing up?”

Source: TechCrunch Generated at: 2026-06-03 19:22:53 UTC