Niantic Lays Off 68 Employees After $3.5 Billion Sale to Scopely

Image: Pokémon

The Pokémon Go developer splits into two—and 68 staff are caught in the fallout.

Niantic, best known for Pokémon Go and Monster Hunter Now, has officially laid off 68 employees, just weeks after its $3.5 billion acquisition by Scopely, a subsidiary of Savvy Games Group. The move comes as part of a larger restructuring effort that splits Niantic into two separate companies.

Layoffs Confirmed by California WARN Act Filing

According to a WARN notice filed in California—spotted by Game Developer—Niantic informed state officials of the layoffs, which will become effective May 20, 2025. The WARN (Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification) Act requires companies to give 60 days’ notice ahead of large-scale job cuts.

These job losses follow an internal email from CEO John Hanke, originally sent out on March 20 and later published on Niantic's website, where he explained the company’s plan to split operations into two distinct entities. “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.

The email emphasized that the layoffs are not performance-related and that Niantic will support affected employees in their transition to new opportunities.

What This Means for Pokémon Go and Other Games

While Scopely now holds the reins on Niantic’s hit titles like Pokémon Go and Monster Hunter Now, questions remain about how these changes will affect live service support and future updates. Niantic has previously insisted that the acquisition would not negatively impact ongoing games and that new features were still in the pipeline. But for many fans, the sudden layoffs cast a shadow over those reassurances.

Scopely, best known for games like Monopoly Go and Scrabble Go, now controls a sizable chunk of the mobile gaming landscape. Its acquisition of Niantic’s gaming business gives it significant influence over some of the most recognizable names in AR mobile gaming.

A New Focus: Geospatial AI

What’s left of Niantic is now Niantic Spatial, an AI-focused tech company funded with $250 million—$200 million from Niantic’s existing balance sheet and an additional $50 million investment from Scopely. The company’s goal is to ramp up development on geospatial technology—tech that Niantic originally pioneered in Pokémon Go and other AR experiences.

This pivot is also a return to roots for Hanke, who previously led development on Google Maps before founding Niantic. He emphasized that Niantic Spatial would be “a more focused organization” aimed at delivering on the promise of connecting digital content with the real world using cutting-edge AI.