Pokemon GO developer Niantic laid off dozens of staff and ended development of several AR games.
Niantic’s Pokemon GO was one of the biggest mobile game hits of all time, and the San Francisco-based developer has never been able to recapture its 2016 success. However, things were not as they seemed from the outside. developer studio Nianticannounced the upcoming NBA All-World the other day, and it looks like it will release its monster-raising AR (augmented reality) game Peridot later this year.
Niantic laid off nearly 100 employees and canceled their projects
But the studio doesn’t look too good behind the scenes. Although Peridot and NBA All-World seem to be still in development, the company is reportedly in serious financial danger. In response, Niantic is canceling several of its products and projects and laying off about 100 employees. Niantic CEO John Hanke recently told Bloomberg that the studio “is facing a period of economic turmoil” and is “starting to cut costs in several areas.”
You may be interested in: Pokemon GO Cheats 2022. Fake GPS, clock forward
This includes the layoffs of 85 to 90 staff and the cancellation of four ongoing game projects. One of the canceled games is a Transformers game called Heavy Metal. Another is Hamlet, which Niantic co-developed with Punchdrunk Entertainment. Hamlet would be the first AR project, according to Punchdrunk’s website. Two other canceled projects are Blue Sky and Snowball.
Niantic’s financial woes may seem strange considering the popularity of Pokemon GO. But Niantic’s other projects haven’t been as successful. Fortunately, the Pokemon GO and NBA All-World projects, along with other games, are still under active development.