The Last Laugh: Inside Soapstone, the Metaverse’s Dying Comedy Club

It’s Sunday evening, and I’m standing center stage at Soapstone Comedy Club, Meta’s pioneering metaverse venue that’s become an unexpected haven for digital performers and comedy enthusiasts. My VR avatar cuts an interesting figure—decked out in a sleek black suit, matching tie, and, perhaps regrettably, a fedora that screams early-2000s fashion disaster. I selected this ensemble from Meta’s free wardrobe options in Horizon Worlds, where your virtual identity is limited only by your imagination and the platform’s default clothing options.

As I deliver my set to the pixelated crowd, the virtual spotlight illuminates my avatar’s sunglasses—a touch of Blues Brothers swagger that feels appropriate for this digital dive bar. The audience responds with scattered applause and the occasional guffaw, though the metaverse’s notoriously unreliable audio sometimes makes it difficult to gauge genuine reactions.

After my performance, I head to the virtual bar area, where I encounter a user whose handle—Large Phenis—immediately sets the tone for our interaction. “Hey there, Blues Brothers,” he cackles, clearly unimpressed by my fashion choices. It’s a tough crowd, even in digital form.

Soapstone has been a fixture in Meta’s Horizon Worlds since the platform’s earliest days. This adults-only digital comedy club has hosted over 5,000 events ranging from improv and stand-up to trivia nights and open-mic singing competitions. The venue has attracted notable talent, partnering with famous comedians like Natasha Leggero, Ron Funches, and Pete Holmes for special performances. But perhaps more importantly, it’s become a gathering place for a dedicated community of regular users who have found something genuinely meaningful in this virtual space.

The timing of my visit feels particularly poignant. Just weeks ago, Meta announced it would shut down Horizon Worlds in VR to focus on its mobile version—a decision that sent shockwaves through the platform’s dedicated user base. The company quickly reversed course after significant community backlash, promising to keep the VR version alive “for the foreseeable future.” However, the damage was done, and the service now operates in a state of limbo.

On June 15th, Meta plans to cut creation features in VR, effectively ending the ability for users to build updates or new content on the platform. No more new worlds or seasonal updates will be available in VR, with the exception of the mobile version. It’s a death knell for the creative community that has flourished in these virtual spaces.

“Soapstone is a world built by a third-party creator and is currently available as both a mobile world and a VR world,” a Meta representative explained in an email to WIRED. “The VR version was built on Horizon Unity Runtime (HUR), and all HUR worlds will live in VR for the foreseeable future as our CTO, Andrew Bosworth, said in his AMA.”

For the past year and a half, Soapstone user Miss Del Rey has been hosting these Sunday improv shows. Her avatar sports bright red hair, a matching red dress and cap, and knee-high gold boots—a vibrant presence that matches her energetic hosting style. Originally from Sweden, Del Rey has become one of the platform’s most beloved figures.

“It came as a shock that they were shutting this down so soon,” she tells me, still processing the initial VR shutdown announcement. “It’s been this massive production, and now it’s just disappearing.”

At the first Soapstone Sunday improv show since Meta’s shutdown whiplash, the atmosphere is charged with uncertainty. Del Rey and her cohost Millsbertc guide volunteers through classic improv games—pulling scenes from a hat, telling stories one word at a time, and engaging in spontaneous character work. The games quickly devolve into the kind of absurdist humor that only works in a judgment-free virtual space. “My anacondas are small and dirty,” the group decides during one particularly memorable scene.

“People are just terrified of the uncertainty,” Del Rey explains between sets. “This might not be profitable to do on VR, but I don’t think Meta understands how important this place is to so many people. I don’t know what my life would have been like today without Soapstone.”

The sentiment echoes throughout the community. For many users, Soapstone and similar virtual spaces have become more than just entertainment venues—they’re social hubs, creative outlets, and even therapeutic spaces. The relationships formed here transcend the digital barrier, with users forming genuine friendships and support networks.

Soapstone says it will continue into the mobile era, but whether the community will follow remains an open question. The VR experience offers something that mobile simply cannot replicate—the sense of presence, the immersion, the feeling of actually being somewhere with other people. As one regular user puts it, “It’s not the same when you’re just tapping on a screen. You lose the magic.”

As the show winds down, I find myself reflecting on what we lose when platforms like Horizon Worlds disappear. It’s not just about comedy or entertainment—it’s about the spaces we create for ourselves in the digital realm, the communities we build, and the ways we find to connect when physical distance separates us.

The metaverse may be struggling to find its footing in the mainstream tech world, but for the people who have made places like Soapstone their home, its value is undeniable. As Meta continues to pivot and evolve its strategy, the question remains: will there still be room for these small, passionate communities in the company’s vision for the future?

For now, Soapstone continues its Sunday shows, one improv game at a time, even as the clock ticks toward June 15th. The show must go on, even in the metaverse’s twilight hours.

Tags: metaverse, VR comedy, Soapstone, Horizon Worlds, Meta, virtual reality, improv, digital community, tech shutdown, metaverse culture, VR entertainment, social VR, virtual comedy club, metaverse news, tech community, digital performance, VR platform, metaverse drama, virtual hangout, online comedy

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