Do stadiums in the metaverse have a future?

The line between the physical and digital worlds is increasingly blurred, and the metauniverse can connect viewers in the virtual world just like stadiums in the real world. Virtual stadiums are making their mark on the meta-virtual world, and as they become more commonplace and attract new fans, they herald greater engagement and enthusiasm in these new digital worlds.

From the real world to the virtual one

Real stadiums very often they act as anchors for entire communities, being at the center of bustling commercial areas that are the focus of life and activity. Stadiums can also revive entire districts that previously fell into disrepair. Take SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, for example, which has been credited with a staggering 148% increase in nearby home prices between 2014 and 2021.

Home to two hugely popular NFL teams, the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers, SoFi Stadium has become the center of the city's vibrant entertainment district, where people come to party and spend. Thanks to this, Inglewood has become one of the most popular districts of Los Angeles, encouraging to explore the surrounding attractions.

There are reasons to believe that virtual stadiums in the metaverse could have a similar effect on the atmosphere of virtual worlds, creating a magnetic effect that attracts more visitors to check out nearby spaces. This is an intriguing prospect as metauniversal stadiums are rapidly gaining ground, providing a new type of immersive experience not possible in the real world. At the same time, metauniversal stadiums promise to attract large crowds, even if these people live in the comfort of their own homes.

Rap legends are reborn

One of the most impressive virtual stadium events so far was the recent one VR BIG concert at Meta Horizon Worlds last month. The digital avatar of the legendary late rapper was resurrected to face thousands of fans in a virtual replica of 90s Brooklyn in New York, where he gave a breathtaking performance that seemed to transport guests back in time.

The hyper-realistic avatar of Notorious BIG appeared in Horizon Worlds wearing a red velvet tracksuit and proceeded to perform some of his greatest hits in a spectacular concert that simply cannot be recreated in the real world. Guest appearances include Sean 'Diddy' Combs, The Lox, Latto, Nardo Wick and Lil' Cease. The live show also featured the story of Biggie's early life and featured several hundred avatars on a realistic concert stage enjoying the sounds and spectacles in 360 degrees. Organized by digital technology company Hyperrealm, the event was a hugely successful demonstration of the potential of these innovative VFX environments.

An exciting sporting experience

Fans of the video game industry will soon be able to enjoy more immersive experience of this type with Everyrealm, a metaverse developer that recently partnered with MIBR, a subsidiary of US-based Immortals Gaming Club, to create a new virtual arena focused on cybersports.

It's called MIBR Arena and it's located in the Portals metaverse, and its goal is to bring cybersports fans together in one virtual space to organize special events together and increase community engagement. This stadium has already hosted many successful events, such as the live broadcast of the IEM Major Rio 2022 champions stage, which also took place in the physical world in Rio de Janeiro last November.

For fans unable to attend in person, MIBR's virtual arena provided another way to experience the event in person - everything was streamed in an immersive 3D environment where visitors could walk around, meet other fans and even take part in some unofficial games .

The MIBR arena is modeled after a real eSports arena and designed in the style of Rio. Visitors can don their avatars using digital MIBR devices provided by virtual reality developer Ready Player Me, and while access is free to all, VIP tickets are planned to be sold for future events, allowing these visitors to enjoy additional benefits.

Soccer fans can also experience the metaverse stadium through Upland, a unique open virtual world mapped to the real world. A few weeks ago, shortly before the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Upland made headlines when it announced a partnership with FIFA to create a meta-universe to coincide with the world's biggest sporting event.

Thanks to Upland, soccer fans were able to enjoy a unique FIFA World Cup experience by visiting a virtual World Cup village that was paired with a real village in Doha, Qatar. By visiting the Upland Virtual World Cup Village, soccer fans could participate in multiple metaverse games to collect NFT memorabilia to decorate virtual buildings and show support for the 32 countries participating in the tournament. As part of this experience, Upland built a full-scale digital replica of the Lusail Stadium in Doha, which served as the venue for the World Cup final. In addition, the digital stadium was given to one lucky winner as one of the many prizes offered to players who were able to collect the most NFTs.

The beating heart of the metacommunity

Perhaps the most popular arena to appear in the metaverse isn't really an arena at all. Despite this, the Metaverse P. Lounge by Decentral Games has become one of the most visited places in Decentraland, which is itself one of the most famous virtual worlds in existence today.

Decentral Games is essentially an arcade based on a metauniverse where players can participate in various skill-based games using cryptocurrencieswhich means the rates are very real. This is by far the most popular attraction in Decentraland with over 60% of all visitors. Ice Poker is the most popular game at Decentral Games, and players can access daily events and challenges directly from the poker room.

In order to participate in the biggest events, players must purchase a wearable ICE, i.e. an NFT accessory. ICE entitles players to receive a certain number of "chips" which can then be used to enter tournaments on the ice. By winning, players can receive xDG tokens that can be used to purchase new wearables or redeem for other cryptocurrencies.

Tokens also provide a voice in governance, allowing players to participate in community governance decisions. Players don't need to spend money to visit P. Lounge as there are also hundreds of free card games where the stakes are zero.

The success of the metauniversal arcade Decentral Games shows that stadiums in the virtual world can have an equally attractive effect on everything aroundas in the real world. Movement in the metauniverse is the same as in the real world. Those building in a high-traffic area, such as next to Snoop Dogg's virtual mansion, will have to pay more for land, but it has also been shown to receive more visitors due to its proximity to other attractions.

In this way, virtual stadiums could one day become the hubs of vibrant new meta-communities. If thousands of people are gathering somewhere in the digital world for the next concert featuring a music legend resurrected from the dead, why not set up your own virtual pizzeria next door, offering delivery straight to the door of hungry fans in the real world?

The potential of sports-themed metauniversal areas could be the next big thing for investors in virtual metauniversal real estate, with numerous opportunities to meet their digital and real-world needs and requirements.