The metaverse has been talked about, overhyped, walked back, and cautiously revisited more times than most of us can count.
The grand vision of persistent, interoperable 3D worlds where we all hang out as avatars hasn't quite materialized in the way early evangelists promised. But that doesn't mean there's nothing happening here worth paying attention to.
For creative agencies and brands exploring how to show up in these spaces, the question isn't whether the metaverse is 'real' — it's where the actual opportunities are right now, and what content marketing looks like when the canvas isn't a feed or a webpage, but a spatial environment.
Where the Real Activity Is
Forget the fully interoperable metaverse for now. The places where people are actually spending time and where brands are finding traction are platform-specific worlds — Roblox, Fortnite Creative, VRChat, Decentraland, and a handful of others. Each has its own culture, creative tools, and audience expectations.
Roblox, for example, has 70+ million daily active users, most of them Gen Z and younger. Brands that have succeeded there — Gucci, Nike, Vans — didn't just drop a logo into a virtual space. They built experiences that respect the platform's culture and give users something genuinely fun or useful.
Fortnite Creative has become a content publishing platform in its own right. Musicians are hosting concerts, brands are building interactive experiences, and the creative tools available to builders are getting sophisticated enough that small teams can produce compelling environments without massive budgets.
What Content Marketing Means in 3D Spaces
Traditional content marketing is about creating value through information — blog posts, videos, guides, resources. In spatial environments, value looks different. It's about creating places people want to spend time in, experiences that feel rewarding, and interactions that wouldn't be possible on a flat screen.
This might mean building a branded world where your product is part of the environment rather than the focus. It might mean hosting events — product launches, community meetups, creative workshops — in virtual venues where geography doesn't limit attendance. Or it might mean creating tools, assets, or templates that other builders in the ecosystem can use, positioning your brand as a contributor rather than just a marketer.
The brands that are doing this well understand that they're not running ads in these spaces — they're participating in the culture. That requires a different mindset and, frankly, a different kind of creative team.
The Production Challenge
Here's the part most content strategies gloss over: creating quality experiences in these platforms requires 3D design, game design thinking, and platform-specific technical knowledge. It's not like spinning up a blog post or a social campaign. The production overhead is real, and the ROI calculations are harder because the metrics are still evolving.
That said, the barrier to entry is dropping fast. Tools like Unity, Unreal Engine, and platform-native editors (Roblox Studio, Fortnite's UEFN) are becoming more accessible. Small creative teams can now produce work that would have required a AAA game studio budget five years ago.
Should Your Brand Be Here?
Honestly? Only if your audience is already there and you have something meaningful to offer. The metaverse isn't a place to just 'have a presence.' It's a place to build experiences that deliver real value — entertainment, utility, connection, or creativity.
If your audience skews younger, if your brand has a strong visual or experiential component, or if you're in a category like fashion, gaming, entertainment, or lifestyle, there's probably something worth exploring. But start small, learn the platforms, and resist the urge to just port your existing content strategy into 3D.
What We're Watching
At Peak, we're keeping a close eye on the intersection of AI and spatial design. Tools that can generate 3D environments from text prompts, or assist with building interactive experiences, are going to make the production side far more accessible. When that happens, the barrier between having an idea and shipping it drops significantly — and that's when things get interesting.
The metaverse might not look like the vision from Snow Crash or Ready Player One, but spatial computing, virtual events, and 3D brand experiences are real and growing. The agencies that figure out how to create value in these spaces — rather than just occupy them — will have a meaningful edge
