Update, April 16, 2025: As reported by Mobilegamer.biz, these layoffs were previously known, and affected Niantic's Spatial business rather than its gaming arm. Scopely said in a statement "it will not be making any workforce reductions as part of our acquisition of Niantic’s games business."
Original story, April 16, 2025: Niantic has laid off 68 employees following the $3.5 billion acquisition of the firm by Savvy Games Group subsidiary Scopely.
As spotted by Game Developer, Niantic submitted a Worker Adjustment and Retaining Notification (WARN) in California – a process that requires employers to provide workers with 60-days notice before a mass layoff.
In the State of California's Employment Development Department's latest WARN report, it details Niantic's decision resulting in the redundancies of 68 people which will be made effective on May 20, 2025.
The layoffs were first announced on March 20, following an internal email from Niantic CEO John Hanke that was subsequently published on the firm's website.
"Niantic is splitting into two companies, with the acquisition of our games business and team, and the spin off of our technology platform into Niantic Spatial Inc.," Hanke wrote.
"As we embark on our new journey as Niantic Spatial, we will need to operate as a startup organisation."
"We carefully evaluated the structure we believe is needed for the new company, and after a lot of consideration, it became clear that some roles would not be required given our new focus."
Hanke continued: "These decisions are never easy; they in no way reflect the individuals' performance, and we understand their impact on people's lives. We deeply appreciate the talented individuals who helped us get here and for their many contributions, and will support them as they transition to new opportunities."
