Niantic Labs, known for creating the hit augmented reality game Pokemon Go, is laying off around 90 employees and cancelling four projects.
The company confirmed the lay offs in a statement CNET, saying it “recently decided to stop production on some projects and reduce our workforce by about eight percent to focus on our key priorities. We are grateful for the contributions of those leaving Niantic and we are supporting them through this difficult transition.”
Niantic’s CEO, John Hanke, said in an email to staff that the company was “facing a time of economic turmoil” and was making the cuts in order to navigate “any economic storms that may lie ahead,” according to Bloomberg.
Niantic also said the decision will allow them to focus on their “most important priorities including Pokemon GO and a select set of new experiences, as well as the Lightship platform.”
Despite the lay offs and cancelled projects, the company is still moving forward with a new augmented reality game in partnership with the NBA called NBA All-World, which was announced on Tuesday.
