Interest in the metaverse has peaked this year—the number of searches for the word increased more than tenfold from 2020 to 2021, according to Google Analytics. Media outlets including the New York Times, Washington Post and the Guardian have all published extensive articles probing its implications. Companies from Epic Games to Microsoft to Facebook and SK Telecom have publicly announced plans to build metaverse worlds. Burberry, Coca-Cola, and Visa are just a few of many brands racing to be part of it.