Gorilla Tag Releases New Mode & Digigods’ $2.6M Boost Highlights Importance of UGC in Social VR

Gorilla Tag, one of virtual reality’s standout titles, is making waves again by integrating a previously trialed level-building feature into the main game. Dubbed ‘Monke Blocks,’ this addition allows players to team up and construct their own game worlds, which they can then explore and enjoy together. Meanwhile, the developers of the promising social VR game Digigods have secured a significant $2.6 million investment, underscoring the growing importance of user-generated content (UGC) in social VR landscapes.

Games like VRChat, Rec Room, Roblox, and Horizon Worlds have all gained substantial followings, largely due to their embrace of UGC. It seems that the old adage “friends that build together, stay together” holds true, especially in virtual realms.

At first glance, Gorilla Tag might seem like your typical multiplayer experience rather than a social VR platform. However, its fluid multiplayer setup—which lets players wander freely between lobbies—and its open-ended gameplay make it a hybrid of a game and a virtual hangout space.

Now, with the introduction of ‘Monke Blocks’ as a permanent feature, Gorilla Tag is diving deeper into the social VR scene by empowering players to create and interact within their own virtual spaces.

Imagine using building blocks and snapping them together to craft your unique levels. In Monkey Blocks, players can construct these worlds collaboratively. What’s exciting is that while some players are building, others can shrink themselves and start exploring these emerging creations in real-time.

To enhance this experience, players have the option to buy specialized block sets using Gorilla Tag’s in-game currency, ‘Shiny Rocks.’ For instance, the initial offering includes a medieval castle-themed set priced at 6,000 SR, which equates to about $30.

This player-driven creation model, a hallmark of UGC, is now a crucial element of vibrant social VR experiences, whether these are recent launches or established games.

Another Axion, the creators of Gorilla Tag, is building on this UGC momentum with their upcoming title, Orion Drift. Similar to its predecessor, this new game will offer vast interactive landscapes where players can craft their own adventures and gameplay rules.

Earlier this year, we highlighted the UGC-focused game Yeeps, which had already captured 360,000 active users monthly. And now, Squido Studio, the team behind Digigods—a UGC-centric game that debuted in April 2024—has attracted a $3 million seed investment. This funding round saw contributions from Triptyq Capital, Grishin Robotics, and several other investors, as reported by VentureBeat.

Since its launch less than a year ago, Digigods has drawn in 100,000 unique players, with an impressive average user review score of 4.8 out of 5 stars—a rarity on the Quest platform. Although still in Early Access, it’s clear Digigods is poised for significant growth once it fully launches.

While UGC undeniably ties together some of the most successful social VR games, there’s an interesting distinction in how movement is handled within them. Older titles like VRChat, Rec Room, and Horizon Worlds still rely on traditional controls like thumbsticks or teleportation for navigation.

In contrast, newer iterations like Orion Drift, Yeeps, and Digigods have adopted the arm-based locomotion style popularized by Gorilla Tag. This marks a shift from the old to the new in social VR experiences.

This evolution in movement style might also reflect a change in audience demographics. The newer, arm-based games tend to attract the Gen Z crowd, as opposed to the millennial and older users who gravitate toward more traditional control schemes.