New ‘Gorilla Tag’ Mode and $2.6M Investment in ‘Digigods’ Highlight UGC as Key Social VR Element

Gorilla Tag, one of virtual reality’s standout successes, is introducing a level creation mode, previously tested, as a permanent fixture within the game. This new feature, dubbed ‘Monke Blocks,’ empowers friends to collaboratively build and then immerse themselves in their shared virtual creations. At the same time, Digigods, an emerging social VR game, has celebrated a significant milestone by securing a $2.6 million investment, highlighting a growing trend: user-generated content (UGC) as a vital element in the success of social VR games.

Titles like VRChat, Rec Room, Roblox, and Horizon Worlds have harnessed the power of UGC to attract large, active communities. It appears that the old adage might need updating to, “Friends who build together, stay together.”

At first glance, Gorilla Tag might seem like a straightforward multiplayer game rather than a social VR hangout. However, thanks to its fluid multiplayer system—where players can effortlessly transition between lobbies—and its open-ended rules, it’s just as much a social hub and playground as it is a game.

With the lasting addition of ‘Monke Blocks,’ Gorilla Tag ventures even deeper into social VR, offering players the chance to craft and explore their own imaginative levels.

By using a system where players can connect Lego-like blocks to create levels, Gorilla Tag lets participants shrink themselves to explore these handmade environments. While some are juggling normal-sized block construction, others, miniaturized, can explore these budding creations simultaneously.

To offer variety in their constructions, players can purchase new block sets using ‘Shiny Rocks,’ Gorilla Tag’s premium currency. The inaugural set, with a medieval castle theme, costs 6,000 SR—approximately $30.

This ‘build and play’ modality, known as user-generated content, drives the popularity of many leading social VR platforms, offering both fresh entrants and industry veterans a leg up in the market.

Another Axion, the team behind Gorilla Tag, is also gearing up to release a new game called Orion Drift, which promises a vast playground for players to explore according to their own rules. The future looks bright with the potential for players to invent their own mini-games and create personalized game rules.

Earlier in the year, we noted that UGC-centric platform Yeeps had reached an impressive 360,000 monthly active users. Now, Squido Studio, creators of Digigods, secured $3 million in seed funding, backed by Triptyq Capital with partners like Grishin Robotics and the Canada Media Fund, as reported by VentureBeat.

Having launched in April 2024, Digigods has quickly attracted 100,000 unique players with its UGC-friendly design. It has garnered over 10,600 user reviews, maintaining a stellar 4.8 out of 5-star average on the Quest platform. While still in Early Access, it’s set for rapid expansion once fully launched.

Despite UGC being the common thread among leading social VR titles, a distinct separation between old and new generations persists in terms of player movement mechanics.

Older platforms like Rec Room, VRChat, and Horizon Worlds stick with traditional thumbstick or teleportation methods. In contrast, newer titles such as Orion Drift, Yeeps, and Digigods adopt the arm-based locomotion popularized by Gorilla Tag. This innovation positions Gorilla Tag as a bridge between the old-school and new-school paradigms in social VR experiences.

This segmentation also aligns with demographic trends: arm-based locomotion games appear to attract a younger Gen Z audience, while games favoring traditional mechanics tend to draw an older, millennial crowd.