Niantic Lays Off 230 Workers, Shutting Down LA Studio

Pokémon GO developer Niantic has closed it’s LA Studio, leading to 230 job losses. CEO John Hanke despatched an electronic mail to his staff stating, “I’ve made the choice to slim our focus for cellular sport investments. Particularly, this implies we shall be closing our LA studio, decreasing our sport platform workforce, and making extra reductions throughout the corporate… This implies we’re shedding round 230 Niantics.”

Along with this, NBA All-World will shut, and manufacturing will stop for Marvel: World of Heroes as Niantic needs to proceed to assist Pokémon Go. “The highest precedence is to maintain Pokémon GO wholesome and rising as a eternally sport, whereas we made some changes to the Pokémon GO workforce, our funding within the product and workforce continues to develop.” mentioned Hanke.

Pokémon GO has been broadly profitable since its 2016 launch, but it surely has has been concerned with quite a few group controversies, one in all which concerned reverting an expanded spawn radius that was favored by gamers. Different Niantic tasks, from Harry Potter to Pikmin Bloom, haven’t reached an analogous quantity of recognition.

Apart from Pokémon GO, Niantic will proceed to work on Pikmin Bloom, Peridot, and the upcoming Monster Hunter Now. Additionally it is constructing in direction of growing blended actuality gadgets and AR glasses.

Supply: GamesIndustry.biz