Meta is opening AI-assisted game development for its Horizon platform with two new tools: Horizon Create, a mobile app, and Horizon Studio, a browser app with more granular controls. Both aim to let creators turn an idea into a complete 2D or 3D mobile game using prompts, with features like progression systems, balanced difficulty, art direction, and multiplayer. The apps enter early access via a waitlist.
Games built with these tools can be surfaced as recommendations on Facebook and Instagram, where users can jump into a multiplayer session without downloading an app. Meta says games that are engaging, stable, culturally relevant, and retain players will get more distribution. The company frames this as making games live directly in the feeds where people already spend time.
The announcement comes as Meta's Horizon has struggled to gain traction; The Verge reported it had roughly 300,000 monthly users in early 2022, whereas Roblox has 123 million daily active users. Roblox is also pushing AI-powered development, including prompt-based game creation in its mobile app. The Verge expresses skepticism that AI-generated games will match handcrafted experiences, but notes the tools are intended to include actual game elements.