Pixiv Invests in VRChat Inc. in Capital and Business Alliance
Pixiv Inc. announced on September 9 that it has invested in VRChat Inc. and entered a capital and business alliance with the San Francisco-based operator of the social VR platform VRChat. The two companies will collaborate over the next several years on joint promotions, events, and technical integration, with the stated goal of supporting the creator ecosystem around 3D avatar culture. The investment amount and ownership ratio were not disclosed. As a first step, Pixiv will support VRChat's booth at Tokyo Game Show 2026, held September 17 to 21 at Makuhari Messe, and join guest sessions there. As a second step, the two companies plan to co-release a new VRChat world this fall, titled Avatar x Dress-Up Tutorial as a working name, developed by Pixiv for VRChat beginners to learn how to pick an avatar and change its outfit. The alliance builds on BOOTH, Pixiv's creator marketplace, whose 3D model category passed 10 billion yen in annual transaction value in 2025. VRChat reports more than 250,000 active communities, an average of 100,000 concurrent users daily, and a peak above 160,000.