Walmart Builds a Universe—Literally—Inside Minecraft

Walmart’s latest swing at the metaverse sees it heading straight into the blocky world of Minecraft. From March 21 to May 15, the retail giant is hosting a time-limited immersive gaming experience called Skyward, targeting players 13 and older. This isn’t your average branded plug: the narrative-driven adventure has players explore new planets in search of the “Golden Child” who’s left Earth to chase a dream. The initiative also integrates a dedicated Skyward Discord server to keep fans connected, while smartly weaving in shoppable links to Walmart-exclusive Minecraft-themed merchandise.

This is part of a broader playbook Walmart’s been building over the past three years. The company has already dabbled in other metaverse experiences like Walmart Unlimited, a gamified shopping miniseries on Spatial and Unity, and its e-commerce tie-in on the avatar platform Zepeto. There’s also Walmart Realm, a virtual shopping world curated by influencers and hosted on the Emperia platform. That one’s already cycled through seasonal updates, like back-to-school and holiday activations influenced by trends from TikTok and Pinterest. The consistent thread? Blending virtual engagement with real-world commerce.

Walmart’s metaverse strategy isn’t about flashy stunts—it’s about testing how and where Gen Z and younger Millennials want to shop and socialize. Whether it’s Roblox, Discord, or Minecraft, the brand is building interactive environments where physical products and digital play coexist. And with dedicated merch pages, influencer partnerships, and seamless purchase flows inside these platforms, Walmart’s betting that the future of retail might just look like a quest across planets—or at least a well-modded Minecraft server.