Overwatch 2‘s latest hero has been announced during the Overwatch League grand finals, and lore fiends will instantly recognise this omnic tank.

Ramattra made his debut back in Overwatch 1, during 2019’s Storm Rising PvE event. He appeared at the end of the closing cinematic, talking to now-fellow tank hero Doomfist. We’ve not heard much about the Null Sector leader since or even known his name—until now. He’ll be joining the tank pool, with his kit revolving around the fact that he sports two separate forms.

Omnic Form will have Ramattra sporting a slim frame around the size of a DPS hero. He adopts more of a poking strategy in this form, with lead hero designer Alec Dawson telling press during a group interview that Omnic Form will do a better job of protecting teammates at a distance. With a button press, Ramattra can transform into his larger, foreboding Nemesis Form, a threatening presence that lead narrative designer Gavin Jurgens-Fyhrie doesn’t want players to diminish. “I don’t think we can overestimate how scary Ramattra gets when he goes into Nemesis Form,” he said. 

Nemesis mode is all about charging forward, switching up from ranged to more of a close-range brawler style: “You’re rushing down the enemies, you’re charging in there, and you have these punches that you’re trying to get to the backline and get rid of some of their squishies,” Dawson said. 

Ramattra cradles a dead omnic, kneeling on the ground. Behind him are humans brandishing chains, bottles and bats ready to attack.

(Image credit: Blizzard)

Nemesis Form will make Ramattra “one of the biggest targets on the battlefield,” which should be a field day for abilities like Ana’s sleep dart or Zenyatta’s discord orb when facing him on the enemy team. It’ll also make him mighty scary as he’s charging towards you with fists flying, but y’know. Dawson didn’t mention exactly what Ramattra’s ultimate ability is yet, but clarified that one ability will be shared across two forms and that “you’re gonna want to get away from him when he uses it.”

Lore nerds will be pleased to know that there’ll be plenty of stuff happening between Ramattra and Zenyatta, too. “They came to be as close as brothers,” Jurgens-Fyhrie told me. “So you will see interactions between them where you see that closeness and you get a hint at that history,” adding that those “hungry for Zenyatta lore” will have a great time with Ramattra’s addition.

Less exciting news is that there are currently no plans to move heroes access forward on the battle pass, and players on the free track will still need to reach tier 55 in order to unlock him. It’s a disappointing choice, but art director Dion Rogers said that shaping the battle pass and heroes’ places in it is “a constant conversation for our team.”

Ramattra sounds like a pretty formidable foe, one that’ll require a little bit of skill to know which form is best for which situation. As a support main I’m excited to see how he can lead a team on the battlefield, and as a Zenyatta main especially I’m looking forward to hearing all the nuggets of lore between the two characters. Ramattra will join the lineup at the beginning of Season 2, which is set to kick off on December 6. 

Bayonetta 3 has emerged as one of the must-have games on the Nintendo Switch this year, and if you’re looking to grab a copy with a few bonus items at a reduced price, you’re in luck. Over at GameStop, a new deal on Bayonetta 3 and a Funko box full of collectible toys is available now.

Add both items to your basket and you’ll pay $90, saving $10 in the process. It’s not a huge discount, but the collectibles are pretty cool. The Bayonetta Bloody Fate Collector’s Box includes Funko figures of Bayonetta and Jeane, Bayonetta’s Scarborough Fair weapons, an Umbran Watch keychain, and a plush version of Viola’s demonic summon, Cheshire. All of this is packaged in a rather nice display box, so it’ll look great once it’s all arranged on your shelf.

No Caption Provided

“Bayonetta 3 is a show-stopping spectacle that feels familiar in all the right ways while also adding mechanics that are sure to delight old and new fans alike,” Jessica Howard wrote in GameSpot’s Bayonetta 3 review. “Like the titular witch, Bayonetta 3 feels as if it doesn’t much care how it is perceived because it knows its own worth as a game that offers fast and fluid gameplay, jaw-dropping spectacles, comedy, and camp in a way very few others do.”

This isn’t the only Switch deal on right now, as you can grab big discounts on Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes, and Mario Strikers: Battle League. You can check out all of those specials and more in our roundup of the best early Black Friday Nintendo Switch deals. Make sure to take a peek at our Black Friday 2022 hub for even more great deals.

2022 is over halfway over, and despite some notable delays, it’s been a strong year for PC games. The release calendar for big budget games like Starfield has taken a beating, but there’s still been a lot to celebrate in 2022: a slick port of Monster Hunter Rise, gleeful destruction engine Teardown, backyard survival game Grounded, cosmic dreadfest Scorn, and, of course, that little game called Elden Ring.

Crusader Kings 3

(Image credit: Paradox)

2022 games: This year’s launches
Best free PC games: Freebie fest
Best laptop games: Low-specs 

This list is specifically our answer to the question “What new PC games should I play right now?” with picks pulled from the best PC games of the year, old favorites we think now is a good time to revisit, and some 2022 hidden gems. It’s a reflection of what the PC Gamer team is playing right now, not a list of the all-time best games ever, although there’ll be overlap. (Our highest review score of 2022 is a 95%. Very few games have scored higher than that in PC Gamer’s nearly 30-year history.)

For a more comprehensive list of great PC games past and present, check out our annual Top 100 list of the best games on PC. We have some fresh picks for the best Steam Deck games if you have one of Valve’s handhelds on the way.

We also stay on top of the year’s calendar with our guide to the new games of 2022, organized by month.

Some good news related to this list: The graphics card shortage is finally easing up, which means it’s now possible to build a new gaming PC for a non-outrageous price. We have a guide to putting together an entry-level gaming PC for around $750, and we have some recommendations for pre-built PCs, too.

red line

Icon key

Reference these emojis to narrow down what you’re looking for in our selection of the best PC games. 

  • 💻 = Suitable for low-end PCs
  • 🙋‍♀️ = Singleplayer
  • 🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️ = Multiplayer
  • 🎮 = Best with a controller
  • 🆓 = Free-to-play

What we’re playing now

These are the games the PC Gamer team is currently playing: the up-to-the-minute (or at least, month) stuff on our Steam quick launch menus. You can see all of our recent game reviews here.

Elden Ring (90%) 🎮🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️
Surprise, surprise: The latest fantasy gauntlet from Dark Souls creator FromSoftware is brilliant. The real treat of this enormous RPG is that it’s so open-ended, you can easily start up a second or third run to carry you through the quiet summer months.

Best of the best

Harry climbs a statue with a drink in his hand

(Image credit: ZA/UM)

These games aren’t all piping hot out of the oven, but some things get better with age. They’re the cream of the crop on PC, either scoring 90%+ in a review or appearing on our list of the Top 100 PC games. If you just want a damn fine PC game from the last several years, check these out.

  • Disco Elysium (92%) 🙋‍♀️💻: Our 2019 Game of the Year and #1 best PC game for two years running.
  • Crusader Kings 3 (94%) 🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️💻: The king is dead, long live the king!
  • Hitman 3 (90%) 🙋‍♀️: The art of assassination, polished as finely as Agent 47’s head. 
  • Slay the Spire (92%) 🙋‍♀️💻: The deckbuilding roguelike all others aspire to beat.
  • Minecraft (96%) 💻🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️: Build anything you can imagine, as long as it’s made of cubes.
  • The Witcher 3 (92%) 🙋‍♀️: Still one of our all time favorite RPGs.
  • Final Fantasy 14: Endwalker (89%)🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️: An MMO we can’t get enough of.
  • Total War: Warhammer 3 (90%) 🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️: A brilliant final act with the series’ most inventive and unusual factions yet.
  • Strange Horticulture (90%) 🙋‍♀️💻: A beautiful and engrossing detective game packed with mysteries, puzzles, plants, and intrigue.
  • God of War (90%) 🙋‍♀️🎮: The best game on PS4 is now one of the best games on PC.
  • Monster Hunter: Rise (90%) 🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️💻: Arguably the greatest entry in Capcom’s flagship series, and a game that simply never stops giving.
  • Forza Horizon 5 (90%) 🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️🎮: Even a marginal improvement on the best racing series around is worth celebrating.
  • Wildermyth (90%) 🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️💻: Narrative design as genetic engineering, it will live in your head like an imaginary friend.
  • Valheim 💻🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️: A survival sandbox that rekindled our love for chopping, mining and building with stylish, savvy streamlining.

The best competitive multiplayer games right now

Apex Legends (93%) 🆓🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️
One of our favorite current battle royale games. The map is fantastic, the ‘ping’ communication system is something every FPS should have from here on, the guns and movement are great fun (no wallrunning, but sliding down hills feels great).

Hunt: Showdown 🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️
Quietly one of the best multiplayer games you can play today. Morgan elaborated on why last year: “When enjoyed with friends, Hunt is one of those games that seems to magically manufacture special moments.”

Rainbow Six Siege (90%) 🆓🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️
Siege might lack the sharp hit detection and purity of CS:GO, but it’s a more accessible and modern FPS that rewards clever timing and coordinated teamwork as much as aim. 

The best PC games by genre

A woman stands on a raft in floodwaters in this Metro Exodus screenshot.

(Image credit: Deep Silver)

Find our selection of the best PC games just a bit too broad? Perhaps you know you’re after a gripping story, or an intense racer, or the kind of sim you can spend a whole weekend playing like a second job. Our genre lists have curated recommendations for RPGs, racing, strategy, and more. Check ’em out:

Half-Life Alyx never truly wowed me back in 2020, because Boneworks already had its hooks in me. While clearly lower budget and wobbly in places, I fell in love with its simulationist approach to VR. Physics-driven avatars bouncing around on 3D legs, everything with weight and heft and no invisible walls to stop me from clambering out into the sparsely-textured corners of the simulation. At times it was the kind of VR magic I dreamed of as a kid.

Need to know

What Is It?: A VR physics sandbox with a sizable story mode.
Expect To Pay: $39.99 / £29.99
Release date: September 29, 2022
Developer: Stress Level Zero
Publisher: Stress Level Zero
Reviewed On: Windows 11, Nvidia 2080 Ti, Intel i9-9900k @ 4.9ghz, 32gb RAM, Quest 1 Wireless via Virtual Desktop
Multiplayer: None officially. Some with mods.
Link: Official site

Bonelab—part sequel, part creator’s sandbox—expands on that experimental, hell-or-high-water design I want out of VR. It’s not an experience I can recommend to newcomers: moving around on virtual legs can be a dizzying experience, although it’s one that I adapted to. Despite some uneven pacing and a little bit of physics jank (seemingly an inescapable part of any VR game with a lot of moving parts), Bonelab is one of the most consistently exciting PC experiences I’ve had with my Oculus Quest headset.

Where Boneworks was more of a traditional story-driven action game, Bonelab takes that core and reworks it into something similar to Garry’s Mod for VR, interwoven with a 5-6 hour story mode.Set in a strange alternate ’90s (think Hypnospace Outlaw, but more haunted) where VR took off early, the story has you breaking out of a conservative corporate-run metaverse to become a free-wheeling hacker and modder. For the most part this involves familiar VR running, gunning, brawling and puzzle-solving, but expands into more creative territory by the end. 

Learnin’ to walk again

(Image credit: Stress Level Zero)

The first stretch of Bonelab introduces the basics. Movement (walking, climbing and jumping, no teleporting), basic physics puzzle-solving (often with enough wiggle-room for improvisation) and combat with melee weapons and firearms. The guns are a satisfying bunch of (mostly) real-world bullet-hoses. While not painfully realistic in their handling, they feel right, with you popping in a magazine, racking the slide and rattling off rounds as recoil dynamically spoils your aim unless you hold it steady using both hands. Thanks to better sound and effects it feels punchier than shooting in Boneworks, although melee has seen the most improvement.

Blunt attacks land with satisfying weight, while blades pierce and stick in virtual non-flesh

For a game sold on its physics-based brawling, Boneworks never quite felt right to me. Weapons were too heavy and my character was too weak. In Bonelab, most avatars I inhabited could swing a sword or club with ease. Blunt attacks land with satisfying weight, while blades pierce and stick in virtual non-flesh, requiring some force to dislodge them. Bare-handed fighting is even better, letting you properly grapple and brawl. No other game has let me convincingly grab an enemy, trip them, pin them to the ground and headbutt them (ideally while lifting their virtual shoulders towards you so you don’t go launching your headset off) into submission. Who needs pub brawls when I’ve got VR?

After the intro Bonelab gets a bit experimental, putting the story on hold to introduce a large hub containing physics sandboxes, challenge maps and score-chasing minigame modes, plus a showcase of some developer-approved mods. The arenas are an interesting distraction and the Tactical Trial maps provide some satisfying John Wick-esque room-to-room combat, but this trips up the campaign’s pacing a little. It’s a taste at what the long-term vision is for Bonelab, although at this point I felt like something fundamental was missing.

The six-body problem

(Image credit: Stress Level Zero)

That something is kept under wraps until around halfway through the story: the Bodylog. Much like how the gravity gun recontextualized Half-Life 2, this little arm-mounted device changes how you play Bonelab, letting you switch physically-driven avatars freely for the rest of the game and beyond. Replacing your generic starting body, there are six main avatars (ranging from a petite anime devil-maid to a gangly 12-foot-tall monster) and the effect they have on gameplay is enormous.

Each body has physics and stats based on its appearance, which gave me a taste of inhabiting a completely new body. Thanks to some clever proportional mapping (if you enter your measurements correctly), each avatar feels like an extension of your body, no matter how different it is to your real-world meatsack. Configured right, touching your chest in reality maps to the same action on almost any avatar. Even user-made models with more alien proportions feel controllable, although it does sometimes feel like you’re puppeteering them around on strings, rather than fully inhabiting them.

(Image credit: Stress Level Zero)

Switching between bodies to solve problems is the focus of the final stretch of the story campaign, which has the highest concentration of physics puzzling, parkour and combat. It’s never quite immersive sim-levels of freedom, but it’s thrilling to change shape to solve problems. I’d shrink down to a cartoon critter to crawl through a vent or blow myself up into an armored knight when I wanted to rumble bare-handed or move a half-ton stone obstacle. This late-game segment also features the most variety in environments, leaning into the idea that you’re breaking out of a virtual world.

Delving into this fragmented metaverse probably wouldn’t have been nearly as memorable for me were it not for Michael Wyckhoff’s expansive soundtrack. Airy synths are backed with brooding melodies and a surprising number of varied vocal tracks. Eight vocalists lend their talents, and it really cements Bonelab’s aesthetic identity; Mechanical, strange, but with a surprising amount of soul. 

There is no spoon

(Image credit: Stress Level Zero)

That playful vibe hits a peak in the final stretch. Bonelab’s ending is as strangely structured as everything preceding it, ending not with a dramatic boss fight, but climbing a windmill. If I had been here purely for the story, I might have been left wanting, but for me, this is where the true Bonelab experience began, thanks to the game encouraging me to immediately cut loose and start experimenting with everything I’d been given. The real magic for me became apparent bringing my avatar-switching powers back to earlier maps. What once seemed purely linear is now clearly infested with secret areas and easter eggs, most of them rewarding new tools, gadgets items or NPCs you can summon.

Players have already created things far beyond anything in the main game

This warren of secrets is how Bonelab sells the fantasy of breaking free of ‘normal’ VR’s bounds and becoming a cool creator and hacker. The other half is that the story’s end includes an invite to the official mod community Discord channel and, in turn, the game’s rapidly expanding mod repository. This is where Bonelab’s true potential is. Despite the mod SDK being only partially complete (not officially supporting the creation of new AI or custom items at present), players have already created things far beyond anything in the main game: Avatars with built-in weapons, a waterpark to slide around in a rideable rubber ring, tons of guns and hundreds of new maps; some scripted, some sandboxes.

While not early access, Bonelab is still a work-in-progress. Since launch, there have been multiple updates to the mod development tools, and a major update to the game to improve a handful of levels. Even within the game there’s hints at a whole ‘B-side’ plot that doesn’t exist at present. Developers Stress Level Zero have promised to work closely with players on the future of Bonelab, and it’s anyone’s guess where it’ll end up. I’m just glad to be on the ground floor of such an experimental game, and curious as to how it’ll change—or change VR itself—over the coming months.


Take an In-Depth Look At Gen Z’s Avatar Style Preferences

 Missed our virtual panel “What’s Next in Metaverse Fashion?” Check out the recording here

Long before the vast potential of digital fashion captured the attention of media and brands, our community members were designing, sharing, and wearing their own avatar fashion creations. For over a decade they’ve been redefining digital identity and their personal style, but in the past few years we’ve seen incredible leaps in the evolution of self-expression on our platform.

Iconic fashion brands have established presences here on Roblox by partnering with our creator community, and the rollout of Layered Clothing – our new technology powering hyper-realistic 3D clothing – has once again raised the bar for what our creators are able to make. As the opportunities for self-expression and personal style accelerate, we decided to take a moment to connect with our incredible community and get a deeper understanding of their experience with digital fashion. We conducted extensive research, drawing both from our own platform as well as survey responses¹ from a thousand Gen Z members who are active on Roblox and closely familiar with digital fashion. 

To offer an in-depth look at the digital fashion trends we’ve been seeing, we’ve partnered with one of the world’s leading institutions for art and design education, Parsons School of Design, to launch our ‘2022 Metaverse Fashion Trends’ report. Here are the top 5 trends.

2. The Influence of Creator Communities on Fashion Is Accelerating

In 2022 alone, more than 11.5 million creators designed over 62 million virtual clothing and accessory items on Roblox. These creators dress millions of people all over the world and impact how they express themselves both in the digital and physical worlds.

To put that in context, there are at least 200 times as many creators designing clothing and accessories on Roblox as the estimated number of fashion designers creating physical collections in the United States².

In 2022, we’ve seen a large influx of global fashion and beauty brands creating digital fashion and immersive experiences for Roblox (or integrating with existing popular experiences on the platform) – including Gucci, Burberry, Carolina Herrera, Tommy Hilfiger, NARS, Alo Yoga and supermodel and entrepreneur Karlie Kloss, as well as metaverse-only fashion companies like DRESSX. Most of these brands are tapping into the vast expertise of Roblox community members who can help create beautiful digital fashion and other engaging content on the platform.

Avatar models during Tommy Hilfiger show on Roblox

2. Self-Expression and Inclusivity in Digital Fashion Is Essential for Gen Z

The vast majority of Gen Z who are active on Roblox said in our survey that they have customized their avatars, with half of them changing their avatar’s clothing at least every week

Just like in the physical world, people tend to connect with and react to others around them based on the way they look and dress, which can have a profound impact on their self-confidence and relationships. Dressing their avatars allows consumers to express their individuality (47%) and feel good about themselves (43%), but also to show off their digital collection and feel more connected to peers – in both the digital and physical worlds. 

In fact, 2 in 5 respondents said expressing themselves with clothing and accessories in the digital world is MORE important than expressing themselves in the physical world. 

Data from respondents about what dressing their avatars allows Gen Z consumers to do

Diverse options for avatar customization are important for the majority of community members who can easily customize on Roblox to be whoever they want to be. In our survey, they’ve noted the importance of having a full range of skin tones (said 70%) and a full range of body sizes (64%), along with a full range of hair colors, textures and styles (70%)

Seven in ten consider inclusivity in digital clothing designs to be “very” or “extremely” important. This challenge can be addressed by new technology like Layered Clothing, a new feature that’s been embraced by both our community creators and users. Over the course of 2022, over 157 million users on Roblox have already acquired both free and paid items community-created Layered Clothing items. 

3. Nearly 3 in 4 Gen Z Say They Spend on Digital Fashion

People are expressing themselves through their avatar style and Roblox fashion choices similarly to how they do in the physical world, with over half (53%) saying their style changes based on their mood or feelings on a particular day, and 37% changing clothing based on where they are going in the metaverse and what they are doing. Many (42%) would change their clothing to immediately try on a new purchase.

Data from respondents around what makes them change their avatars style

Among those who say they spend money on digital fashion, 31% of users said they’d typically spend up to $5 per month and another 30% said up to $10-$20 per month, while nearly 12% will spend $50-$100 monthly. Over 1 in 4 say they’ve spent anywhere from $20 to over $100 on a single virtual item.

4. IRL Trends Influence Avatar Fashion (and Vice Versa)

In our survey, 70% of Gen Z said their avatars dress at least somewhat like their IRL style, with equally as many (70%) saying they also get physical style inspiration from dressing their avatars. 

Take the #Barbiecore trend, which started on social media as part of the excitement for the upcoming “Barbie” movie, or Y2K nostalgia: the Roblox community rushed to reflect these key 2022 fashion trends both in creation of items and their avatar styling. 

The timely launch of the Forever 21 x Barbie collection helped ensure shoppers could quickly (and literally) get dolled up for their metaverse adventures, and the Y2K trend has been peaking on Roblox, with total purchases of Y2K-labeled items surpassing 188 million from January to September 2022. 

Roblox's Y2K avatar shop

5. The Prestige of Digital Fashion Is On The Rise

Recent industry research points to Gen Z’s “outsized impact on culture and economy,” given that this consumer group accounts for approximately a quarter of the world’s population, and already has a purchasing power of hundreds of billions of dollars in the U.S. alone. With this demographic spending more time in immersive social spaces like Roblox, the prestige and impact of digital fashion are on the rise.

More than half (58%) of respondents consider a digital fashion designer career to be just as impressive or even more impressive than the role of a physical fashion designer. This number grows significantly among people who spend up to $100 per month on avatar fashion, where 54% said being a digital fashion designer is more impressive.

As we look forward to the near future, we expect the next generation of fashion designers and brands to be deeply immersed in digital fashion, dressing avatars, designing 3D digital versions of their collections and creating metaverse-exclusive items. 

Respondent data around what Gen Z is looking for from digital fashion brands and designers

We couldn’t be more excited to collaborate with the thought leaders at Parsons School of Design to see, along with brands, designers, and our Roblox community, how we can further enable self-expression and empower our community to become whoever they want to be – on our platform and beyond.

 

¹To obtain the most recent consumer insight data, Roblox, in collaboration with the Parsons School of Design, commissioned a poll from Momentive (makers of the SurveyMonkey platform) fielded September 19-21, 2022, among 1,000 people ages 14 to 24, living in the United States. The sample has been balanced for gender using the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey to reflect the demographic composition of the US population in that age range.

 



Source link

Take an In-Depth Look At Gen Z’s Avatar Style Preferences

 Missed our virtual panel “What’s Next in Metaverse Fashion?” Check out the recording here

Long before the vast potential of digital fashion captured the attention of media and brands, our community members were designing, sharing, and wearing their own avatar fashion creations. For over a decade they’ve been redefining digital identity and their personal style, but in the past few years we’ve seen incredible leaps in the evolution of self-expression on our platform.

Iconic fashion brands have established presences here on Roblox by partnering with our creator community, and the rollout of Layered Clothing – our new technology powering hyper-realistic 3D clothing – has once again raised the bar for what our creators are able to make. As the opportunities for self-expression and personal style accelerate, we decided to take a moment to connect with our incredible community and get a deeper understanding of their experience with digital fashion. We conducted extensive research, drawing both from our own platform as well as survey responses¹ from a thousand Gen Z members who are active on Roblox and closely familiar with digital fashion. 

To offer an in-depth look at the digital fashion trends we’ve been seeing, we’ve partnered with one of the world’s leading institutions for art and design education, Parsons School of Design, to launch our ‘2022 Metaverse Fashion Trends’ report. Here are the top 5 trends.

2. The Influence of Creator Communities on Fashion Is Accelerating

In 2022 alone, more than 11.5 million creators designed over 62 million virtual clothing and accessory items on Roblox. These creators dress millions of people all over the world and impact how they express themselves both in the digital and physical worlds.

To put that in context, there are at least 200 times as many creators designing clothing and accessories on Roblox as the estimated number of fashion designers creating physical collections in the United States².

In 2022, we’ve seen a large influx of global fashion and beauty brands creating digital fashion and immersive experiences for Roblox (or integrating with existing popular experiences on the platform) – including Gucci, Burberry, Carolina Herrera, Tommy Hilfiger, NARS, Alo Yoga and supermodel and entrepreneur Karlie Kloss, as well as metaverse-only fashion companies like DRESSX. Most of these brands are tapping into the vast expertise of Roblox community members who can help create beautiful digital fashion and other engaging content on the platform.

Avatar models during Tommy Hilfiger show on Roblox

2. Self-Expression and Inclusivity in Digital Fashion Is Essential for Gen Z

The vast majority of Gen Z who are active on Roblox said in our survey that they have customized their avatars, with half of them changing their avatar’s clothing at least every week

Just like in the physical world, people tend to connect with and react to others around them based on the way they look and dress, which can have a profound impact on their self-confidence and relationships. Dressing their avatars allows consumers to express their individuality (47%) and feel good about themselves (43%), but also to show off their digital collection and feel more connected to peers – in both the digital and physical worlds. 

In fact, 2 in 5 respondents said expressing themselves with clothing and accessories in the digital world is MORE important than expressing themselves in the physical world. 

Data from respondents about what dressing their avatars allows Gen Z consumers to do

Diverse options for avatar customization are important for the majority of community members who can easily customize on Roblox to be whoever they want to be. In our survey, they’ve noted the importance of having a full range of skin tones (said 70%) and a full range of body sizes (64%), along with a full range of hair colors, textures and styles (70%)

Seven in ten consider inclusivity in digital clothing designs to be “very” or “extremely” important. This challenge can be addressed by new technology like Layered Clothing, a new feature that’s been embraced by both our community creators and users. Over the course of 2022, over 157 million users on Roblox have already acquired both free and paid items community-created Layered Clothing items. 

3. Nearly 3 in 4 Gen Z Say They Spend on Digital Fashion

People are expressing themselves through their avatar style and Roblox fashion choices similarly to how they do in the physical world, with over half (53%) saying their style changes based on their mood or feelings on a particular day, and 37% changing clothing based on where they are going in the metaverse and what they are doing. Many (42%) would change their clothing to immediately try on a new purchase.

Data from respondents around what makes them change their avatars style

Among those who say they spend money on digital fashion, 31% of users said they’d typically spend up to $5 per month and another 30% said up to $10-$20 per month, while nearly 12% will spend $50-$100 monthly. Over 1 in 4 say they’ve spent anywhere from $20 to over $100 on a single virtual item.

4. IRL Trends Influence Avatar Fashion (and Vice Versa)

In our survey, 70% of Gen Z said their avatars dress at least somewhat like their IRL style, with equally as many (70%) saying they also get physical style inspiration from dressing their avatars. 

Take the #Barbiecore trend, which started on social media as part of the excitement for the upcoming “Barbie” movie, or Y2K nostalgia: the Roblox community rushed to reflect these key 2022 fashion trends both in creation of items and their avatar styling. 

The timely launch of the Forever 21 x Barbie collection helped ensure shoppers could quickly (and literally) get dolled up for their metaverse adventures, and the Y2K trend has been peaking on Roblox, with total purchases of Y2K-labeled items surpassing 188 million from January to September 2022. 

Roblox's Y2K avatar shop

5. The Prestige of Digital Fashion Is On The Rise

Recent industry research points to Gen Z’s “outsized impact on culture and economy,” given that this consumer group accounts for approximately a quarter of the world’s population, and already has a purchasing power of hundreds of billions of dollars in the U.S. alone. With this demographic spending more time in immersive social spaces like Roblox, the prestige and impact of digital fashion are on the rise.

More than half (58%) of respondents consider a digital fashion designer career to be just as impressive or even more impressive than the role of a physical fashion designer. This number grows significantly among people who spend up to $100 per month on avatar fashion, where 54% said being a digital fashion designer is more impressive.

As we look forward to the near future, we expect the next generation of fashion designers and brands to be deeply immersed in digital fashion, dressing avatars, designing 3D digital versions of their collections and creating metaverse-exclusive items. 

Respondent data around what Gen Z is looking for from digital fashion brands and designers

We couldn’t be more excited to collaborate with the thought leaders at Parsons School of Design to see, along with brands, designers, and our Roblox community, how we can further enable self-expression and empower our community to become whoever they want to be – on our platform and beyond.

 

¹To obtain the most recent consumer insight data, Roblox, in collaboration with the Parsons School of Design, commissioned a poll from Momentive (makers of the SurveyMonkey platform) fielded September 19-21, 2022, among 1,000 people ages 14 to 24, living in the United States. The sample has been balanced for gender using the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey to reflect the demographic composition of the US population in that age range.

 



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Take an In-Depth Look At Gen Z’s Avatar Style Preferences

 Missed our virtual panel “What’s Next in Metaverse Fashion?” Stay tuned for the recording link coming soon! 

Long before the vast potential of digital fashion captured the attention of media and brands, our community members were designing, sharing, and wearing their own avatar fashion creations. For over a decade they’ve been redefining digital identity and their personal style, but in the past few years we’ve seen incredible leaps in the evolution of self-expression on our platform.

Iconic fashion brands have established presences here on Roblox by partnering with our creator community, and the rollout of Layered Clothing – our new technology powering hyper-realistic 3D clothing – has once again raised the bar for what our creators are able to make. As the opportunities for self-expression and personal style accelerate, we decided to take a moment to connect with our incredible community and get a deeper understanding of their experience with digital fashion. We conducted extensive research, drawing both from our own platform as well as survey responses¹ from a thousand Gen Z members who are active on Roblox and closely familiar with digital fashion. 

To offer an in-depth look at the digital fashion trends we’ve been seeing, we’ve partnered with one of the world’s leading institutions for art and design education, Parsons School of Design, to launch our ‘2022 Metaverse Fashion Trends’ report. Here are the top 5 trends.

2. The Influence of Creator Communities on Fashion Is Accelerating

In 2022 alone, more than 11.5 million creators designed over 62 million virtual clothing and accessory items on Roblox. These creators dress millions of people all over the world and impact how they express themselves both in the digital and physical worlds.

To put that in context, there are at least 200 times as many creators designing clothing and accessories on Roblox as the estimated number of fashion designers creating physical collections in the United States².

In 2022, we’ve seen a large influx of global fashion and beauty brands creating digital fashion and immersive experiences for Roblox (or integrating with existing popular experiences on the platform) – including Gucci, Burberry, Carolina Herrera, Tommy Hilfiger, NARS, Alo Yoga and supermodel and entrepreneur Karlie Kloss, as well as metaverse-only fashion companies like DRESSX. Most of these brands are tapping into the vast expertise of Roblox community members who can help create beautiful digital fashion and other engaging content on the platform.

Avatar models during Tommy Hilfiger show on Roblox

2. Self-Expression and Inclusivity in Digital Fashion Is Essential for Gen Z

The vast majority of Gen Z who are active on Roblox said in our survey that they have customized their avatars, with half of them changing their avatar’s clothing at least every week

Just like in the physical world, people tend to connect with and react to others around them based on the way they look and dress, which can have a profound impact on their self-confidence and relationships. Dressing their avatars allows consumers to express their individuality (47%) and feel good about themselves (43%), but also to show off their digital collection and feel more connected to peers – in both the digital and physical worlds. 

In fact, 2 in 5 respondents said expressing themselves with clothing and accessories in the digital world is MORE important than expressing themselves in the physical world. 

Data from respondents about what dressing their avatars allows Gen Z consumers to do

Diverse options for avatar customization are important for the majority of community members who can easily customize on Roblox to be whoever they want to be. In our survey, they’ve noted the importance of having a full range of skin tones (said 70%) and a full range of body sizes (64%), along with a full range of hair colors, textures and styles (70%)

Seven in ten consider inclusivity in digital clothing designs to be “very” or “extremely” important. This challenge can be addressed by new technology like Layered Clothing, a new feature that’s been embraced by both our community creators and users. Over the course of 2022, over 157 million users on Roblox have already acquired both free and paid items community-created Layered Clothing items. 

3. Nearly 3 in 4 Gen Z Say They Spend on Digital Fashion

People are expressing themselves through their avatar style and Roblox fashion choices similarly to how they do in the physical world, with over half (53%) saying their style changes based on their mood or feelings on a particular day, and 37% changing clothing based on where they are going in the metaverse and what they are doing. Many (42%) would change their clothing to immediately try on a new purchase.

Data from respondents around what makes them change their avatars style

Among those who say they spend money on digital fashion, 31% of users said they’d typically spend up to $5 per month and another 30% said up to $10-$20 per month, while nearly 12% will spend $50-$100 monthly. Over 1 in 4 say they’ve spent anywhere from $20 to over $100 on a single virtual item.

4. IRL Trends Influence Avatar Fashion (and Vice Versa)

In our survey, 70% of Gen Z said their avatars dress at least somewhat like their IRL style, with equally as many (70%) saying they also get physical style inspiration from dressing their avatars. 

Take the #Barbiecore trend, which started on social media as part of the excitement for the upcoming “Barbie” movie, or Y2K nostalgia: the Roblox community rushed to reflect these key 2022 fashion trends both in creation of items and their avatar styling. 

The timely launch of the Forever 21 x Barbie collection helped ensure shoppers could quickly (and literally) get dolled up for their metaverse adventures, and the Y2K trend has been peaking on Roblox, with total purchases of Y2K-labeled items surpassing 188 million from January to September 2022. 

Roblox's Y2K avatar shop

5. The Prestige of Digital Fashion Is On The Rise

Recent industry research points to Gen Z’s “outsized impact on culture and economy,” given that this consumer group accounts for approximately a quarter of the world’s population, and already has a purchasing power of hundreds of billions of dollars in the U.S. alone. With this demographic spending more time in immersive social spaces like Roblox, the prestige and impact of digital fashion are on the rise.

More than half (58%) of respondents consider a digital fashion designer career to be just as impressive or even more impressive than the role of a physical fashion designer. This number grows significantly among people who spend up to $100 per month on avatar fashion, where 54% said being a digital fashion designer is more impressive.

As we look forward to the near future, we expect the next generation of fashion designers and brands to be deeply immersed in digital fashion, dressing avatars, designing 3D digital versions of their collections and creating metaverse-exclusive items. 

Respondent data around what Gen Z is looking for from digital fashion brands and designers

We couldn’t be more excited to collaborate with the thought leaders at Parsons School of Design to see, along with brands, designers, and our Roblox community, how we can further enable self-expression and empower our community to become whoever they want to be – on our platform and beyond.

DOWNLOAD THE FULL REPORT HERE

 

¹To obtain the most recent consumer insight data, Roblox, in collaboration with the Parsons School of Design, commissioned a poll from Momentive (makers of the SurveyMonkey platform) fielded September 19-21, 2022, among 1,000 people ages 14 to 24, living in the United States. The sample has been balanced for gender using the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey to reflect the demographic composition of the US population in that age range.
²According to some estimates, there are about 30,000-40,000 designers employed in the U.S.

 

The post Insights From Our ‘2022 Metaverse Fashion Trends’ Report appeared first on Roblox Blog.