元宇宙戰略降溫？Meta擬削減三成預算，全面轉向AI

2021年10月28日，祖克柏將其沿用十餘年的“Facebook”更名為“Meta”，並將股票代碼改為“MVRS”（Metaverse縮寫），曾為元宇宙願景投入巨資的這位創辦人，如今正為該戰略按下剎車鍵。據彭博社報導，Meta計劃大幅縮減元宇宙業務規模，2026年相關事業群的預算可能削減達30%，最快明年1月或伴隨裁員措施同步實施。

消息公佈後，Meta股價一度大漲近6%，顯示市場資金對這一調整持積極態度。此次預算削減的背景，是元宇宙業務持續表現疲軟——負責該板塊的Reality Labs自2020年起累計虧損已超過600億美元，發展進程遠低於預期。

就在一個月前，祖克柏與公司高層召開會議，明確將AI領域作為未來重點投入方向。在資源向AI傾斜的整體策略下，元宇宙業務的預算分配自然被壓縮。市場對此反應正面：TD Cowen分析師估算，30%的預算削減意味著Reality Labs在2026年可減少40億至60億美元支出；法國巴黎銀行則指出，此舉可能使其對Meta 2027年的盈利預期提升近個位數百分比。

事實上，Meta的元宇宙佈局長期受到投資者質疑，被視為“資金消耗無底洞”。祖克柏近年也已低調調整敘事重心，在公開場合及財報會議中，“元宇宙”一詞出現頻率顯著下降，“AI”則成為新的戰略關鍵詞。不過截至目前，Meta尚未對這份預算削減計劃作出最終確認。

從產業視角觀察，元宇宙概念曾推動美國科技資本市場相關股票大幅上漲，吸引多家企業持續加碼佈局。然而隨著熱度消退，該領域尚未形成可持續的商業模式，反而累積了巨額虧損與不明朗的前景，反映出新興技術從概念炒作到實際落地之間的挑戰。

Metaverse “Big Bet” Cooling Down? Meta Plans to Cut 30% of Budget, Pivots Fully to AI
On October 28, 2021, Zuckerberg renamed the company that had been called Facebook for over a decade to “Meta” and changed its stock ticker to “MVRS”—short for Metaverse. The founder who once invested heavily in the metaverse vision is now hitting the brakes on this strategy. According to Bloomberg, Meta plans to significantly scale back its metaverse operations, with budgets for related business units potentially slashed by up to 30% as early as January next year, possibly accompanied by layoffs.

Following the news, Meta’s stock price surged nearly 6%, indicating market approval of this adjustment. The budget cuts come against the backdrop of persistently weak performance in the metaverse segment—the Reality Labs division responsible for this area has accumulated losses exceeding $60 billion since 2020, with progress far below expectations.

Just a month ago, Zuckerberg met with senior executives to clarify that AI would be the company’s future focus. As resources shift toward AI, budget allocations for the metaverse are naturally being reduced. The market responded positively: TD Cowen analysts estimated that a 30% budget cut would reduce Reality Labs’ costs by $4–6 billion in 2026, while BNP Paribas noted that this move could raise their profit forecast for Meta in 2027 by nearly a single-digit percentage.

In fact, Meta’s metaverse initiatives have long faced investor skepticism, seen as a “bottomless pit” of spending. Zuckerberg has quietly shifted his narrative in recent years, with mentions of the “metaverse” declining significantly in public appearances and earnings calls, while “AI” has become the new strategic keyword. However, Meta has not yet confirmed this budget reduction plan.

From an industry perspective, the metaverse concept once drove significant surges in related U.S. tech stocks, prompting continued investment from major companies. However, as hype subsided, the field has yet to develop a sustainable business model, instead accumulating massive losses and an uncertain future—highlighting the challenges of transitioning emerging technologies from conceptual speculation to practical implementation.