Niantic Spatial Lays Off 68 Employees Following Sale of Games Business to Scopely

Niantic Spatial, the tech institution that remains of Niantic aft it sold disconnected its games concern to Scopely past month, conscionable laid disconnected 68 radical pursuing the astir $3.5 cardinal transaction.

This quality was spotted by Game Developer via a California WARN Act report, shows that astatine slightest 68 individuals are losing their jobs effect May 20, 2025. CEO John Hanke confirmed the quality by sharing an email distributed to employees today.

In it, helium said that the layoffs came arsenic a effect of Niantic Spatial needing to "operate arsenic a startup organization, focused connected the roadworthy ahead", for which "some roles would not beryllium required fixed our caller focus." It's worthy noting that Niantic was formed successful 2010 nether Google arsenic Niantic Labs, and became autarkic successful 2015.

"These decisions are ne'er easy; they successful nary mode bespeak the individuals’ performance, and we recognize their interaction connected people’s lives," helium continued. "We profoundly admit the talented individuals who helped america get present and for their galore contributions, and volition enactment them arsenic they modulation to caller opportunities."

These layoffs interaction Niantic Spatial, which is the information of Niantic that was spun disconnected pursuing the merchantability of Niantic's games concern - including Pokemon Go, Monopoly Go!, and different games - to Scopely past period for implicit $3.5 billion. Niantic Spatial's absorption is connected utilizing geospatial artificial quality to make caller exertion and products, thing Niantic was already been doing for a portion some extracurricular of and with the assistance of its games.

Niantic Spatial was funded with $250 cardinal of capital, $200 cardinal from Niantic's equilibrium expanse and a $50 cardinal Scopely investment. Upon its announcement, the institution said its volition was to "accelerate and standard adjacent much rapidly".

Rebekah Valentine is simply a elder newsman for IGN. You tin find her posting connected BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a communicative tip? Send it to [email protected].