Whether it was the global pandemic, a collective surge of creativity or just the realization that the metaverse is emerging as the most compelling destination for virtual explorers, 2020 was a bumper year for Decentraland. Here are just some of the highlights…

Falling exhausted into the year off the back of an epic Creator Contest in December, the Decentraland team turns its attention to the official launch. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization tweets about a cluster of pneumonia cases in Wuhan, China, caused by a novel coronavirus. Meh, whatevs.

20.02.20 – The gates to Decentraland officially open, kicking off a four-day Treasure Hunt with over $50k USD worth of NFTs and ERC20 tokens up for grabs. The launch also sees the addition of features integral to the development of the metaverse: the SDK, the Builder, the World Explorer and the Marketplace.

The DAO, which puts control of Decentraland into the hands of the community to determine the policies, features and behaviour of the virtual world, is also launched and the first proposals are put up for consideration.

The World Events dApp goes live, allowing the community to view and submit events that drive daily life in Decentraland.

In one of the first major events post-launch, Decentraland joins forces with Binance for a #CryptoAgainstCOVID donation drive to raise money for medical supplies for healthcare organizations and professionals battling against the coronavirus, known globally as Covid-19.

Five development teams – Polygonal Mind, Decentral Games, Wonderzone, Digitible and Dappcraft – take up the challenge of creating the first collection of user-generated wearables. This is the test case for a community-wide initiative to launch in the coming months.

Hundreds of attendees flood into Genesis City for Decentraland Art Week where they experience digital artwork from dozens of talented artists. Exhibitions, concerts, talks and even flying fish turn the metaverse into the destination for creative culture, featured in stunning new galleries, many purpose-built for the occasion.

But it’s not all art and culture taking center stage in the metaverse. Just days after the end of Art Week, Decentraland plays host to the Moonshot Crypto World Cup. 24 teams do battle in what is a hard fought tournament, with Team Decentraland taking out the title after a thrilling final against Decentral Games.

Inspired by their experience at Art Week, heavy hitters in the digital art space, SuperRare, KnownOrigin and MakersPlace join the Decentraland Marketplace, offering digital artworks to the community to buy and trade.

Game Jam returns, the first in a new series, happening every quarter in Decentraland. A highlight on the calendar of all creators, the event features Pro and Main categories and a distinct theme for the community to sink its teeth into.

The second phase of the new Decentraland Wearables initiative bears fruit, with some incredible submissions emerging from the community. From tribal dress through to steampunk and traditional costumes, the successful designs are proof of a diverse and dynamic artistic community at play in the virtual world.

It begins with a phone call… Halloween Week captures the attention of players with a week-long mystery in the metaverse, featuring a ton of spooky quests and puzzles and culminating in an all-night party.

The final Game Jam for 2020 kicks off Xmas celebrations throughout the virtual world. Tasked with the job of saving Xmas, creators compete for MANA, LAND and Badges, along with two new Game Jam prizes: Best New Creator and the Community Prize.

DJ/producer extraordinaire, 3LAU drops into Decentraland for three special events: an exhibition at MakersPlace gallery, exclusive listening party and a live set at the official Xmas Party – the culmination of Xmas Week, a three-day treasure hunt featuring wearables from guest artists.

Not content with producing its largest year on record, the Decentraland team throws one last massive celebration, featuring none other than indie-electronica hero, RAC. Boosted by the new voice chat feature, seriously amping up the virtual world’s social credentials, the party is a fitting send-off and a sign of big things to come in 2021.

Coming soon! The very best of Decentraland in 2020 is celebrated at the DCL ‘Oscars’. Discover who takes out the coveted ‘Best Halloween Footwear’ award. And find out if that is even a category. Details to follow…

In the meantime, check out the wrap up of 2020’s technical updates in the Decentraland Technical Year in Review.