COVER Corporation announced on May 14, 2026 that its metaverse project Holoearth will be discontinued as of 21:00 JST on Sunday, June 28, 2026. The service, which launched as a virtual world for hololive production fans to interact with each other and with talents, will end after approximately four years of development and operation.

Shutdown Timeline

  • May 14, 2026: Sale of Premium HoloCoin discontinued immediately. Marketplace review and editing processes halted.
  • June 3, 2026 (23:59 JST): Sale of official premium items and user-created items ends.
  • June 28, 2026 (21:00 JST): Full service termination.

Refunds and Post-Service

COVER will provide refunds for unused Premium HoloCoin and Creator Point balances after termination. The refund application period runs from June 29 to September 30, 2026. Payment statements for Marketplace Creators will remain available for download until May 31, 2027.

A Message from the Project Lead

Holoearth Project Lead Ikko Fukuda issued a personal statement expressing gratitude to users:

"Since launching Holoearth we continued operations with the support of many users, but after careful consideration regarding the ability to provide service into the future we arrived at this decision. We offer our sincerest apologies for being unable to meet the expectations of everyone who supported us."

Community Reaction

The Reddit community on r/Hololive responded with understanding mixed with disappointment. Many fans noted that Holoearth struggled to find its identity, transitioning from a metaverse concept to incorporating ARK/Minecraft-style survival game elements that failed to gain traction. Discussions on r/kurosanji referenced reports that the project incurred losses of approximately 3 billion yen. However, users who enjoyed the platform's social features expressed sadness at losing the space where they connected with other fans. Some community members shared memories of watch parties and in-game events as cherished experiences from the platform.

Context and Significance

The Holoearth shutdown represents COVER Corporation stepping back from its metaverse ambitions following similar pullbacks across the tech industry. The original vision, announced alongside 'hololive Alternative,' aimed to create a persistent virtual world where fans and talents could interact. Its closure allows COVER to refocus resources on its core VTuber management and concert businesses ahead of upcoming events like hololive English's 4th Concert -Serendipity- in July.