Niantic recently announced major layoffs amid praise for the Apple Vision Pro.
John Hanke, CEO and founder of Niantic sent an email to employees detailing organizational changes, which include layoffs across the line, canceled games, and a studio shutdown. According to Hanke, these moves were meant to ‘narrow the company’s focus’ which could mean a concentric effort to Pokemon Go. It’s said that the company will still develop new games in the future, including Monster Hunter Now and Pikmin Bloom.
Around 230 employees will be leaving the company, and the titles Marvel: World of Heroes and NBA All World will be canceled. The company’s LA studio will be shutting down as well. Hanke further mentioned that the company’s future is ‘still bright’ with the advent of augmented reality hardware such as the Meta Quest Pro and Apple Vision Pro. According to the CEO, they are ‘stepping stones to true outdoor AR devices.’