Niantic Cuts Workforce and Shuts Down Games to Prioritize Pokémon Go

Niantic Labs, the company behind Pokémon Go, is laying off 230 employees and shutting down its Los Angeles studio as it refocuses on its flagship game. CEO John Hanke cited a slowdown in revenue growth and challenges in the mobile gaming and augmented reality markets as reasons for the layoffs. Niantic will prioritize keeping Pokémon Go healthy and growing, while reducing its game platform team and stopping production on certain games. The company will also focus on building for emerging augmented reality devices and investing in its AR map and platform.