Expanding Metaverse: Vans makes its first foray into Roblox. Who's next?

US skateboarding shoe and apparel company Vans partnered with Roblox to launch Vans World, an in-game interactive experience allowing players to skateboard while sporting Vans gear.

Vans World features skate parks and shops where players can buy decks and wheels for their skateboards, as well as various apparel. Some items will be free, others purchasable with in-game currency Robux. Players will also be able to wear some of Vans gear outside Vans World in other Roblox games.

“We kept a lot of the Roblox aesthetic in there, but we wanted it to be also representative of some of the things that are important to us globally,” said Julia Patkowski, senior manager of global brand digital marketing at Vans, via USA Today.

In July, Roblox announced a similar collaboration with Gucci. That Metaverse thing seems to be gaining momentum, with even non-gaming brands already fully on board. While Roblox is embracing its capacities as your next favourite boutique, another Metaverse powerhouse Fortnite is tending to your more spiritual needs with a flurry of events like the recent Ariana Grande’s show and the even more recent Martin Luther King experience. Although, as reported by Forbes, Roblox is also exploring partnerships with other entertainment media. On September 8, the second half of animated series Bakugan: Geogan Rising will debut on Roblox, a week before it premiers on Netflix.

The day is not too far off when you’ll be buying actual plane tickets in Microsoft Flight Simulator or getting exclusive eBook deals in the libraries of Tamriel. Maybe even ordering food in Call of Duty: Warzone‘s Verdansk? Who knows. The Metaverse is just beginning to expand.