By R.V. Baugus
The next step in the world of virtual experience just became real.
Major League Baseball’s Atlanta Braves became the first MLB team to join the metaverse through the creation of a virtual platform featuring a photo-realistic digital twin of Truist Park.
Digital Truist Park, powered by Epic Games’ Unreal Engine technology, will give fans the opportunity to 
experience the Braves’ ballpark and The Battery Atlanta mixed-use development in an immersive, multiplayer environment streamed directly to their browsers.
The Braves said the inspiration to accelerate entry into the metaverse is driven by the opportunity to connect with fans in a non-physical venue free of geographical constraints or capacity limitations.
Mission accomplished.
The new environment, which fans are set to be offered a first look at in April, seeks to become a new way for Braves supporters to engage with the club and consume content. Meanwhile, the team will be able to create use cases for ubiquitous consumption through seamless and blended physical and digital environments.
Inside Digital Truist Park, fans will be able to create and customize avatars; explore exclusive areas of Truist Park and The Battery Atlanta; enjoy exclusive content, performances, and meet-and-greets; and meet and interact with other Braves fans from around the world, among other features.
“It’s exciting to create a new way for our fans to connect with our team and their favourite ballpark,” said Derek Schiller, Atlanta Braves president and CEO.
“The digital version of Truist Park will offer limitless opportunities to create unique fan engagements in the metaverse and we are proud to be the first team to offer this immersive experience. We look forward to building enhancements along the way which will continue to showcase the innovation of the Braves brand in the digital world.”
Earlier this month, Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A football club Corinthians launched a virtual platform to provide fans with a closer look of its Neo Química Arena, while English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur became the first team in the UK to utilize Ticketmaster’s 3D Virtual Venue technology.
In November, Spanish LaLiga club Real Madrid entered into a partnership with computer software company Adobe to create “premium entertainment experiences” for supporters.
Real Madrid and Adobe will look to bring the Santiago Bernabéu to a global audience through an “expanded ecosystem” of online experiences, products and services. The initiative will transform the stadium into a virtual destination that can be accessed by fans worldwide.
Meanwhile, the U.S. is getting its first peak at the latest interactive technology. To see more, click here.
