Meta has shut down Ready at Dawn Studios, the developer behind the Echo virtual reality series for Meta Quest. This closure comes just a year and a half after Meta acquired the studio, highlighting a significant shift in the company’s strategy.
The decision is part of Meta’s broader plan to reduce costs within its Reality Labs division, which is expected to face a 20 percent budget cut by 2026 as the company prepares to launch its next-generation VR headsets, the Meta Quest 4 and Quest 4s.
Ready at Dawn has had a long history in the gaming industry, starting with its work on Sony’s PlayStation Portable (PSP). The studio made a name for itself with titles like Daxter in 2006, a spinoff of the popular Jak and Daxter series, and several entries in the God of War franchise for the PSP, including Chains of Olympus and Ghost of Sparta.
In 2015, the studio transitioned to console gaming with The Order: 1886 on PlayStation 4, a game known for its impressive graphics but mixed critical reception.
Following their console endeavors, Ready at Dawn explored multiplayer gaming with De-Formers, a 2017 release on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. However, the studio’s most significant pivot came in 2018 when they embraced virtual reality, producing popular titles such as Echo Arena and Lone Echo for the Oculus Rift and Quest.
These games established Ready at Dawn as a key player in the VR gaming space, leading to successful sequels like Echo Combat and Lone Echo II.
In 2023, Meta, which had rebranded from Oculus, acquired Ready at Dawn, allowing the studio to continue operating from its California and Oregon locations. Despite this, Meta decided to shut down the free Echo VR game later that year, citing a decline in player engagement. This move was part of Meta’s broader effort to streamline its operations and focus on more profitable and sustainable projects within its VR ecosystem.
The closure of Ready at Dawn is one of many cost-cutting measures Meta has undertaken as part of a larger restructuring effort. Since 2023, the company has laid off over 20,000 employees as CEO Mark Zuckerberg drives what he has termed a “year of efficiency.” These actions reflect Meta’s shift toward a more focused and financially disciplined approach in its pursuit of long-term success in the tech and gaming industries.