Walmart Expands Metaverse Presence Through Minecraft Collaboration

Walmart is taking another step into the metaverse by partnering with the popular gaming platform Minecraft to launch a new interactive experience.

The retail giant has introduced “Skyward,” a limited-time gaming adventure available on a Minecraft Java server, as reported by Chain Store Age on March 21. In this experience, players aged 13 and up can explore various planets while searching for the elusive “Golden Child.” To complement the virtual engagement, Walmart has also launched a selection of Minecraft-themed merchandise on its eCommerce site, alongside a dedicated Skyward Discord server for fans.

This initiative is part of Walmart’s broader strategy to establish a foothold in the metaverse. Over the past few years, the company has consistently expanded its digital footprint. One notable example is “Walmart Unlimited,” an in-game commerce experience developed in collaboration with Spatial, a 3D gamified media platform, and Unity, a leading real-time 3D development environment.

Last year, Walmart and Unity introduced an “immersive commerce” partnership that allows Unity developers to integrate Walmart’s commerce application programming interfaces (APIs) directly into their games and applications. This feature enables creators to sell physical products within real-time 3D (RT3D) experiences across more than 20 platforms.

“Our goal is to bridge the gap between physical and digital shopping in a way that only Walmart can, delivering authentic experiences to customers where they already are,” said Tom Kang, Walmart’s former general manager for metaverse commerce.

Walmart’s continued metaverse expansion coincides with a resurgence of interest in virtual and extended reality (VR/XR) due to the growing influence of artificial intelligence (AI). Earlier this year, PYMNTS reported that Infinite Reality, a Florida-based XR company specializing in 3D websites within the metaverse, secured $3 billion in funding.

Meanwhile, Meta, once a staunch advocate of the metaverse—going so far as to rename itself—now appears to be reassessing its virtual reality ambitions. According to Business Insider, Meta’s Chief Technology Officer Andrew Bosworth recently suggested that 2025 could be a defining year for the company’s metaverse efforts. In a memo to Reality Labs employees, Bosworth emphasized the need to drive engagement, sales, and retention, particularly in the mixed reality (MR) space.

“The success of Horizon Worlds on mobile is crucial for our long-term vision,” Bosworth noted, acknowledging that the future of Meta’s virtual initiatives hinges on expanding user adoption.

As companies like Walmart continue to explore new digital frontiers, the evolving landscape of the metaverse remains a dynamic space filled with both opportunities and challenges.