LogInNiantic CEO John Hanke announced the layoffs and closures in an email sent to the staff.
The company behind the development of Pokémon Go mobile game is laying off 230 workers as it plans to halt NBA All-World and Marvel: World of Heroes projects and shut down its Los Angeles studio.
Niantic CEO John Hanke blamed the organizational changes and layoffs on a "tough market environment," caused by "the overall global macroeconomic slowdown." The company is growing "faster than revenue." "I have made the decision to narrow our focus for mobile game investments, concentrating on first-party games that most strongly embody our core values of location and local social communities," wrote CEO John Hanke.
To overcome this financial hardship, Niantic will let go of 230 employees. In addition, the company is shutting down its Los Angeles studio and canceling two games: NBA All-World and Marvel: World of Heroes. Despite all the challenges, Pokémon Go remains the "top priority" for Niantic. "While we made some adjustments to the Pokémon GO team, our investment in the product and team continues to grow, " said Hanke.
Beyond Pokémon Go, Niantic is committed to "augmented reality as the future form factor for computing," despite citing a slowly developing AR market. The company will continue to support its AR platform and maps.
You can find the full announcement here. Don't forget to join our 80 Level Talent platform and our Telegram channel, follow us on Instagram and Twitter, where we share breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.
Keep reading
You may find these articles interesting