Proximity chat

Proximity chat or spatial chat or positional chat is a type of Internet platform that overlays video teleconferencing software on a virtual world environment, so that users can navigate freely and have conversations among small groups. A distribution of small groups across a virtual world map can be more informal than a many-to-many session, and to some extent this format is a functional replacement for breakout rooms. Some of the platforms employ a retrogaming aesthetic similar to a 2D overworld, while others work from a blank virtual world or one built up of a collage of photos placed by the user. Proximity chat has been included in many multiplayer video games. One popular software for implementing this functionality in games without built-in proximity chat is Mumble. Global voice chats, especially those of an MMO-style video game hosting hundreds of players, tend to become cluttered. A proximity chat would allow teams of players to coordinate in-game without having to use external calling applications like Discord or Microsoft Teams.