Meta Places Supernatural in Maintenance Mode as AI Gains Focus
After pursuing Supernatural through a high-profile acquisition fight, Meta has now shifted the VR fitness app into maintenance mode, raising fresh uncertainty about the future of virtual reality workouts. The Meta-owned platform confirmed it will no longer release new content or introduce new features, pointing to organisational changes within the studio responsible for running the service.
Even with development stopping, Supernatural is expected to remain accessible to users through its existing content library. The company also stated that its official Facebook community group will remain open, providing a central space for members who rely on the platform not only for exercise sessions but also for routine and motivation.
The move comes as Meta reduces activity within its Reality Labs division, a step widely expected to include job cuts affecting roughly 10% of the unit’s workforce. The decision fits into a broader shift by the company towards artificial intelligence initiatives, signalling a change in priorities away from some of the virtual reality products that once formed a significant part of Meta’s long-term plans.
Supernatural’s studio confirmed the change in a post shared with its community, explaining that the app would no longer receive new updates from the stated date forward. At the same time, it emphasised that the service would remain operational and that users could continue using all currently available workouts and content. By keeping the platform running while freezing future releases, the company has effectively placed Supernatural into a “maintenance only” phase rather than shutting it down completely.
Meta’s decision arrives nearly three years after the company fought to complete its acquisition of Within, the VR studio behind Supernatural. The takeover became a significant test case for how regulators would treat competition in emerging technology markets, with the US Federal Trade Commission challenging the deal. Meta ultimately succeeded, bringing Within under its control and expanding its role in the VR fitness category.
At the time of the acquisition push, Meta leadership treated VR fitness subscriptions as a significant opportunity. In 2021, Meta’s chief executive publicly compared the model to Peloton-style subscriptions, positioning immersive workouts as a strong growth path within virtual reality. Those comments helped create a sense that products like Supernatural could be long-term pillars inside Meta’s broader ambitions for VR adoption.
However, the tone from senior leadership shifted during court testimony in late 2022. In that setting, the importance of fitness was played down, while social applications were positioned as more central to Meta’s strategy. The difference in emphasis unsettled sections of Supernatural’s user base, many of whom were deeply attached to the platform’s structure, coaches, and regular programming schedule. As the community had developed strong ties to the product, concerns grew that Meta might eventually deprioritise the app.
Those concerns intensified once Supernatural confirmed it would stop producing new content. Many users viewed the announcement as a significant setback, particularly because regular updates were essential to keeping the app feeling current and engaging. The reaction across online VR communities suggested that some long-time subscribers thought they had lost something more personal than just a fitness tool, given how the platform had encouraged habit-building through scheduled releases and ongoing trainer-driven engagement.
Despite Meta’s pullback, other companies continue to explore the VR fitness space. One example is Virtuix, a VR hardware startup developing the Omni One system, which uses a full-body 360-degree treadmill design to blend gaming and physical activity. The setup is designed to allow players to move more naturally inside virtual environments by enabling running, jumping, crouching, and directional changes while staying in place.
Virtuix’s system also tracks performance-related metrics such as steps taken, calories burned, and distance travelled, aiming to replicate the feedback loop many users associate with fitness wearables and training equipment. Its approach highlights how some parts of the VR fitness market are still evolving, even as Meta steps away from active development on one of the category’s best-known subscription platforms.
With Supernatural now locked to its current library, the decision leaves open a broader question about where VR fitness sits within Meta’s long-term plans. The platform remains active for now, but the shift away from updates reflects a clear reordering of priorities as Meta directs more resources and attention towards artificial intelligence.
