Niantic, the company behind Pokémon Go, has announced major organizational changes including layoffs, game closures and the closure of its Los Angeles studio. Niantic CEO John Hanke shared this information via an email posted on the company’s website. These modifications seek to focus the company’s attention, especially on the development and maintenance of its goose that lays the golden eggs, Pokémon Go.
Pokémon Go is nearing its seventh anniversary and is still extremely relevant. According to Sensor Tower data shared in June 2022, the game has generated around billion dollars in annual revenue. However, Niantic has struggled to recapture the massive success it achieved with Pokémon Go in other projects, such as games based on Harry Potter, Catan and four other titles that were affected by layoffs last year. Other companies have not been very successful in this genre either; Microsoft shut down Minecraft Earth, and CD Projekt Red will officially shut down its augmented reality game from The Witcher series on June 30.
As part of this new wave of layoffs, which will affect around 230 employeesNiantic will also end its NBA game, NBA All World, and halt production on its Marvel game, Marvel World of Heroes.
Hanke stated that despite the game shutdowns, Niantic is still “long-term believer in augmented reality as the future format for computing. The company is also taking a close look at mixed reality devices like the Meta Quest Pro and Apple Vision Pro, which it sees as “a stepping stone to true outdoor AR devices.”
Going forward, Niantic’s “top priority” is keep pokemon go healthy and growing as a full-length game. According to Hanke, the company will continue to develop and support games like Pikmin Bloom, Peridot, and Monster Hunter Now. In addition, it will continue to invest in its augmented reality platforms for developers.
Learn more at nianticlabs.com
