Meta cancels Facebook F8 developer conference due to focus on metaverse

Meta has canceled the Facebook F8 developer conference. Where the event was not physically held in recent years due to the pandemic, Meta now focuses on the metaverse as the reason. Connect, formerly Oculus Connect, will continue later this year.

Meta talks about ‘pausing F8’ in the announcement, which could mean that F8 will return as a developer conference in years to come. “We don’t want to hold an F8 in 2022, as we prepare for new initiatives related to the next chapter of the Internet, as well as the next chapter of our business: building the metaverse,” the company said.

The new event will take place on May 19th conversations Place. That focuses on chat applications and is aimed at business customers of Facebook. Connect will also return later this year. Previously called Oculus Connect, the event will use Meta to make announcements related to virtual reality and augmented reality.

Meta has been holding its F8 conference since 2007, but it didn’t go on every year. It was also canceled in 2012 and 2013, while F8 have been online events for the past two years due to the pandemic. Meta has used F8 in the past to make announcements about its platforms. In recent years, these have included the redesign of Facebook and the dating function of Facebook.

Facebook F8 in the past