On August 5, 2026, UCC Japan Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as UCC), a coffee manufacturer, and Sumitomo Corporation released “BECOME A COFFEE FARMER,” a unique content that allows users to virtually experience the entire coffee production process, on Roblox, one of the world’s largest metaverse platforms.
This project is a challenge that goes beyond mere brand promotion. It can be considered a pioneering example of next-generation education, where a company’s purpose, next-generation sustainability education, and cutting-edge digital marketing are highly integrated. This article will introduce this case study by reporting on the press conference held by Sumitomo Corporation (Omochi Studio) and UCC Japan Co., Ltd.
Building a coffee plantation in the metaverse space
UCC is a coffee maker whose purpose is “Unleashing the power of coffee for a better world.” The company aims to provide sustainability education to 300,000 people by 2030, and as of December 2025, it has delivered education to approximately 217,000 people in total. This project is a new initiative aimed at achieving this goal.
At the beginning of the presentation, UCC explained the background of the content’s development. They said that when they received the proposal from Sumitomo Corporation, they intuitively felt that something interesting could be created, and development began. The main aim is to overcome physical distance. The cultivation and processing sites in the “coffee belt” near the equator are difficult for Japanese consumers to experience firsthand. The intention is to use Roblox not just as a game, but as an experiential learning device, allowing people to learn about the social issues and production background of a distant foreign country in a more relatable way.
Corporation Sumitomo talks about Roblox’s overwhelming attention.
Next, Tomita, who belongs to Corporation Sumitomo’s Generation Next Unit Retail, which was in charge of development, took the stage and explained the market size of the platform and his company’s track record. The content production studio to which he belongs, “Omochi Studio,” has achieved over 600 million global plays with the horror game “Petapeta-sama” and over 100 million plays with the Roblox content of the popular game “Ao Oni.” Including “Claw Tokyo Machine,” which promotes Japanese arcade culture, they have produced content that has been played a total of over 1.1 billion times.
(Tomita Shoya, Unit Deputy Head, Generation Next Unit Retail, Corporation Sumitomo)
Tomita pointed out that Roblox has nearly 400 million monthly active users. This surpasses LINE’s global scale and is on track to reach X (formerly Twitter). Furthermore, data was presented showing that users spend an average of 2.5 hours a day on the platform. Tomita emphasized that this platform is more immersive than TikTok or YouTube, and is a place where users will spend a long time. This space, which can be called a gaming version of YouTube, has a unique culture in which players themselves can become developers, and Corporation Sumitomo sees business potential in this aspect.
A realistic value chain experience born from UCC’s expertise.
Next, Hibi, the section chief of UCC’s Promotion Sustainability Office, took the stage to explain the game’s overview and features. The game takes place on an island that can be accessed by up to nine people simultaneously, with the right half being an exploration area where players search for coffee beans, and the left half being their own farm area. Players run around the exploration area to harvest wild coffee beans, bring them back to their farm, and plant them in the ground. It is also possible to increase the growth speed by buying fertilizer at the shop.
UCC’s expertise is deeply reflected in the post-harvest processing. In the game, drying and hulling are carried out using a method called the natural process. Furthermore, professional tasks such as screen sorting to ensure uniform bean size and defect sorting to remove discolored or defective beans are recreated as mini-games. In the final roasting process, the amount of coins earned when selling the beans depends on how closely the roaster can achieve the target color.
The enthusiasm of the next generation of users revealed in the early access play session.
Midway through the presentation, two children who regularly play Roblox demonstrated their skills. Kouki, playing the level 10 maze area, showed his dedication by immediately finding a hidden wall that could be slipped through.
Furthermore, Kaya-chan purchased an expensive golden cup from the shop and enjoyed chatting with other players in the cafe area. Although its functionality was the same as the cheaper white cup, she was playing with a proper understanding of the status associated with owning an expensive item.
Expanding educational goals and prospects for real-world integration and monetization.
The latter half of the presentation was dedicated to a Q&A session with the media, during which a lively discussion took place regarding business perspectives and future prospects.
The first question raised was about the positioning of this initiative in relation to the sustainability education goal of 300,000 people by 2030. UCC’s Satomi indicated that while the goal is already within sight, it is necessary to raise the target itself in increments of 100,000. Roblox’s main users are overseas, outside of Japan, and it has the potential to gain tens of thousands of players in just a few days. UCC has high expectations for this unprecedented potential for widespread adoption.
Next, questions were raised about balancing educational content with gameplay. Hibi replied that he leveraged his experience of visiting nearly 10 producing countries in the past to pursue the realism of the processing steps to the fullest extent. Tomita, on the other hand, revealed that he incorporated a feature where rare beans glow purple, taking into account Roblox users’ tendency to prefer flashy things. It is evident that they carefully balanced fact and game-like representation.
Important discussions also took place regarding improving brand value and linking with the real world (O2O). Satomi stated that a major challenge is to make the UCC brand familiar to younger generations. Tomita introduced the example of Walmart in America North, which is testing a system that allows users to purchase real-world products from games within Roblox. UCC is also considering concepts that move between the real world and the metaverse, such as collaborative campaigns with retailers and a system where users can obtain exclusive in-game items by visiting the “UCC Museum Coffee” in Kobe.
In response to questions about the development period and future potential, Hibi explained that development took approximately three months, starting at the end of March. Future updates will gradually add environmental learning elements, such as the “2050 coffee problem” caused by global warming and “nature positivity,” which avoids reliance on chemical fertilizers.
Prospects for billing and updates for sustainable operation
Towards the end of the Q&A session, I (Mogura VR) asked about future plans for monetization using in-game currency. The development representative from Sumitomo Corporation explained that they have already introduced some monetization elements, such as the weather-changing function. They added that monetization elements will be important for Roblox to grow significantly, and indicated their intention to consider introducing them based on user feedback and discussions with UCC. In response, UCC stated that their primary objective is sustainability education and not profit generation, but that they are exploring a monetization model that adapts to growth as a means of covering the operational costs necessary to continue development and make the content interesting.
When asked about the direction and frequency of future updates, the development team wholeheartedly agreed with the children’s opinions. For example, they revealed that their next project will focus on improving the efficiency of factory management, such as adding a feature that allows users to hire employees to automate processing steps. While the specific update frequency is yet to be determined, Roblox is a platform known for frequent updates, so they indicated their intention to continue providing updates at a pace that will satisfy users.
For companies, Roblox’s initiative is undoubtedly a new challenge. Sustainability x Education. It will be interesting to see how this ambitious initiative, which aims to create a connection between coffee, a beverage for adults, and children through Roblox, develops in the future.
BECOME A COFFEE FARMER – Game Overview
| Content Name | BECOME A COFFEE FARMER |
| Release date | August 5, 2026 |
| platform | Roblox |
| Joint development | UCC Japan Co., Ltd., Omochi Studio (Sumitomo Corporation) |
| Game content | A simulated experience of coffee cultivation, harvesting, processing, roasting, and sales. |
| Number of players | A maximum of 9 users can access one server. |
| Access URL | https://www.roblox.com/ja/games/73058702493295/BECOME-A-COFFEE-FARMER |
This article is an English translation of an original Japanese article, translated by the Mogura VR editorial team.
