The metaverse trend briefly surged after Facebook rebranded to Meta Platforms in October 2021, fueling industry-wide interest in virtual reality (VR) and its integration with augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) into extended reality (XR). The ambition was to create immersive digital experiences, with Meta leading substantial investments into building a metaverse ecosystem. However, initial enthusiasm quickly faded as the concept struggled to gain market traction.