--- title: "The Head of Facebook’s Beleaguered “Metaverse” VR Platform is Leaving the Company" description: "Less than a year after Facebook rebranded for its \"Metaverse,\" the head of Meta's virtual reality platform is leaving the company for greener pastures. " date: "2022-08-29" modified: "2022-08-29" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/horizon-metaverse-head-leaves-company" categories: - "Future Society" tags: - "facebook" - "horizon worlds" - "metaverse" - "oculus" - "the digest" - "virtual reality" - "vr" --- # The Head of Facebook’s Beleaguered “Metaverse” VR Platform is Leaving the Company ![Less than a year after Facebook rebranded for its "Metaverse," the head of Meta's virtual reality platform is leaving the company for greener pastures. ]() *\Image: Meta\* ## Metamates Less than a year after Facebook [rebranded as Meta]() and launched its Metaverse efforts, the head of its virtual reality platform is leaving the company for greener pastures. Vivek Sharma, who until this weekend headed up Meta's Horizon VR platform as a vice president at the tech giant, [confirmed to *Reuters*]() that he's leaving the company to pursue outside opportunities. "Thanks to \[Sharma's\] leadership," a [Meta spokesperson said in a statement circulated by *CNBC*](), "the Horizon product group has built a strong team with an ambitious vision, and it is just getting started." The spokesperson also confirmed to news outlets that those who worked under Sharma, whose teams created the company's Horizon Worlds world-building VR and its virtual events division [Horizon Venues](), will now report to Metaverse vice president Vishal Shah. So far, Meta has struggled to make its Metaverse vision compelling to a meaningful chunk of the population. The question now is whether Sharma's departure will help or hinder that potential transition. ## Short and Winding Road Since [announcing its Metaverse in October 2021]() and [changing the company name]() to Meta the following month, the ostensible transition has been rocky. From [a scary whistleblower warning]() and [lots of]() [expert detractions]() to the arguably more-damaging fact that everything [we've seen so far]() of the Metaverse looks pretty "basic" — the term used just this month [by CEO Mark Zuckerberg himself]() to describe the graphics of his [much-clowned-upon avatar]() — it hasn't been an easy road for the nascent Metaverse, even as the [company has poured billions]() [into making it viable](). Sharma has so far declined further about his exit, so it's unclear whether he was force out or jumped ship, nevermind how the departure will effect Zuckerberg's vision long term. From an optics perspective, though, it certainly doesn't look great. **READ MORE:** [Meta head of virtual reality platform Horizon leaving company]() \[*Reuters*\] **More on the Metaverse:** *[People Are Going on Dates In the Metaverse and it Sounds Very Strange]()* ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()