Habbo
A virtual hotel and social game launched in 2000.
Habbo (formerly called Habbo Hotel) is a virtual world and massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) owned and operated by Sulake. Founded in 2000, it has expanded to nine online communities (or 'hotels') with users from more than 150 countries, and as of October 2020, 316 million avatars had been registered. The platform is notable for its longevity and evolution through multiple technical and business phases, including a shift to Unity, the introduction of NFT collections, and the launch of separate clients for different age groups.
- founded
- 2000
- founders
- Sampo Karjalainen, Aapo Kyrölä, Dee Edwards
- owner
- Sulake (acquired fully by Azerion in 2021)
- field
- Virtual world, MMORPG
- known_for
- Pioneering online social hotel concept with user-created rooms and avatars
- registered_avatars
- 316 million (as of October 2020)
Lore & Background
In May 2006, domain names changed from habbohotel.com to habbo.com. The Chinese hotel closed temporarily in August 2007 due to market challenges, and the Russian hotel closed in February 2009 due to low numbers. In 2010, all English-speaking hotels were merged into one, completing in June 2010. In June 2012, Channel 4 News raised concerns about pornographic and violent messages on the game, leading Sulake to suspend chat temporarily; two investors withdrew funding. A Turkish hotel launched in August 2012. In December 2020, a beta version moved to the Unity platform, and in February 2021 an Adobe AIR client was released as a temporary solution. In 2021, Azerion fully acquired Sulake. Habbo X entered alpha in December 2022, and Habbo Hotel: Origins launched in June 2024, targeting adults.
Reader's Guide
Habbo's significance lies in its long history as one of the earliest and most enduring virtual worlds, evolving from a Finnish hobby project into a global platform with millions of users. It pioneered a virtual hotel concept where users create avatars, build rooms, and interact socially, influencing later online communities. The platform faced challenges including market closures, a major safety scandal in 2012 that led to investor withdrawal, and technical transitions from Shockwave to Flash to Unity. Its later adoption of NFTs and separate clients for different age groups (Habbo X and Habbo Hotel: Origins) reflects ongoing adaptation to changing technology and user demographics. The 2021 full acquisition by Azerion and revenue growth of 46% between January 2019 and December 2020 indicate continued commercial viability. Habbo's legacy includes its role in shaping online social gaming and its ability to sustain a dedicated user base for over two decades.
Did You Know?
- Habbo stemmed from a 1999 hobby project called Mobiles Disco for a Finnish band.
- In June 2012, a Channel 4 News investigation found pornographic and violent messages on the game, leading to a temporary chat suspension.
- The English-speaking hotels (US, Canada, Australia, Singapore, UK) were merged into one by June 2010.
- In September 2021, an NFT collection of Habbo avatars was introduced, and Habbo X entered alpha in December 2022.
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