Niantic spin-off continues layoffs with ‘small number’ of additional cuts

Niantic Inc has laid off five more employees as it continues to reorganize following the sale of its game business to Saudi-owned mobile publisher Scopely.

The company previously laid off 68 workers after selling its internal development teams and roster of franchises—including Pokemon Go—to Scopely in a deal worth $3.5 billion.

Those layoffs didn’t impact Niantic’s outgoing workforce, but rather those who remained with the tech company.

Niantic is currently pivoting towards the geospatial AI market with the formation of a new company called Niantic Spatial, which is where the layoffs are being made.

After Game Developer spotted the company had made fresh layoffs (via a WARN notice filed in California), Niantic Spatial confirmed a “small number” of additional employees have been let go. The WARN notice stated that five people were impacted by the latest cuts.

“As a result of the reorganization of Niantic Spatial, we identified a small number of additional positions that were unfortunately no longer required in the new company,” said a company spokesperson.

The redundancies were previously announced by Niantic CEO John Hanke, who said Niantic Spatial will be operating as a “startup organization.”

“After a lot of consideration, it became clear that some roles would not be required given our new focus. This week, we are sharing this news with the individuals whose roles are impacted,” said Hanke earlier this year.

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“These decisions are never easy; they in no way reflect the individuals’ performance, and we understand their impact on people’s lives.”

Hanke failed to specify how many roles were at risk, but we now know 73 workers have been jettisoned from Niantic Spatial as a result.