Meta Spark AR, Meta's AR studio which lets third parties create AR effects will be closing down officially and the shutdown will take effect on January 14, 2025.

The tech giant stated in an official blog post on the Meta Spark Community, that the company's decision to shut down the studio was part of its efforts to push the products that suit Meta's customers and consumers.

Meta Spark AR: Background on the AR studio

Meta has clarified that its AR Effects will still be available to its user base. However, the company has stood on the ground, saying it will remove any or all filters that third-party developers have created. The Meta Spark shutdown will take effect on January 14, 2025. After the date of the shutdown, all third-party filters will be hence removed.

Meta Spark was launched in 2017 so it had a good 7-year run. Millions of users made AR effects in the studio. Creators could make AR effects with an existing template or build their custom AR effects with code.

The decision to shut down Spark has been met with criticism, especially from creators who use Spark to create AR effects. Many users have expressed disappointment over Meta's decision. Some have also questioned Meta's inner motive to get rid of the studio.

The shutdown could even affect Meta in the long run. Meta could face some trouble if it plans on going head-to-head with other social media giants. Platforms like TikTok and Snapchat provide AR developers with tools and rewards programs. Meta's bold move to shut down its AR studio might be because the company wants to focus more on its LLM, Llama and other AI tools.

Suggested:

AI Studio: Meta’s New AI Tool Has Been Launched in The US.

Llama 3.1: Meta’s Biggest Open Model Has Been Released.