🎧 House Legend Mike Russi Joins Decentraland Music Festival

**The Play Doc** documentary examines how play serves as an antidote to stress, focusing on its effects on high-performing individuals. **Watch Party Details:** - Date: February 4th - Times: 2 PM & 8 PM UTC - Location: Decentraland Theater - Event: Watch Party Wednesdays The screening offers a communal viewing experience in a virtual environment, allowing participants to explore the relationship between play and mental well-being together.

Decentraland has announced a new recurring event called **Play with Friends Fridays**, focusing on casual multiplayer and social gaming experiences. **Key Details:** - Regular Friday gaming sessions featuring various challenges and multiplayer games - Emphasis on social-first gameplay and community interaction - Full schedule and game lineup available on the official blog The initiative builds on Decentraland's existing gaming offerings, which already include classic games available in the virtual world. This new event series aims to create consistent opportunities for users to connect and play together in a structured format. [View the complete schedule and details](https://decentraland.org/blog/announcements/play-with-friends-fridays-casual-multiplayer-social-first?utm_org=dcl&utm_source=x&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=playwithfriends)

Decentraland introduces **Watch Party Wednesdays**, a new weekly event series starting with a five-year documentary about GoogleDeepMind. **Key Details:** - Documentary chronicles Demis Hassabis's journey and the origins of GoogleDeepMind - Shows breakthrough moments, setbacks, and the scientific discovery process - First screening: January 28 at 2PM & 8PM UTC at Decentraland Theatre - Weekly screenings continue through March 4 The virtual world platform is creating a communal viewing experience for its users, combining entertainment with insights into AI development. [Full schedule available here](https://decentraland.org/blog/announcements/watch-movies-together-online-a-weekly-watch-party-in-decentraland?utm_org=dcl&utm_source=x&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=watchparty).

**Decentraland Music Festival 2025** concluded after four days of live performances across creator-built virtual experiences. The festival featured diverse musical genres: - EDM and techno - Classical piano - Drum and bass **Featured artists** included @OfficeDrummer, @SarahCoponat, @VlouueOfficial, @thugshells, @NaNaTheApe, @SteveSaiko, @stoney_eye, @DrJaffle, and @MAKEANFT. The event was **co-created** with partners @HAPEsocial, @NewtroArts, @Musica_W3, @psychanon, and @akidcalledbeast. This marks the platform's continued focus on virtual music experiences, building on previous festival editions that have established Decentraland as a venue for digital concerts and community gatherings.

**Decentraland has launched a major upgrade to Genesis Plaza**, the virtual world's main hub and entry point for users. The redesigned space includes several **new attractions and facilities**: - DCL Store for virtual goods and merchandise - New Decentraland Theatre for events and performances - Interactive elements like **pigeon feeding** - Enhanced visual design and user experience Genesis Plaza serves as the **primary launchpad** for users entering Decentraland, making this upgrade significant for first impressions and user onboarding. The update reflects Decentraland's ongoing efforts to **improve the virtual world experience** and provide more engaging spaces for its creator-owned community. [Explore the redesigned Genesis Plaza](https://decentraland.org/blog/about-decentraland/explore-the-redesigned-genesis-plaza-your-launchpad-into-decentraland?utm_org=dcl&utm_source=x&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=genplaza&utm_term=launchblog)