Niantic Spatial Cuts 68 Jobs After Scopely Games Sale

Niantic Spatial has reported the layoff of 68 employees following the recent sale of its games business to Scopely for approximately $3.5 billion. The layoffs, effective May 20, 2025, were confirmed by CEO John Hanke, who indicated that the company must adapt to a new startup-like focus. Niantic Spatial, which emerged after the separation from Niantic's games division, aims to concentrate on geospatial artificial intelligence to drive innovation. This move comes as part of a strategy to streamline operations while acknowledging the contributions of the affected employees, providing them with support during their transition.

The sale allowed Niantic Spatial to secure $250 million in funding, enabling them to pivot towards developing new technologies rooted in geospatial artificial intelligence, while the layoffs reflect necessary adjustments to align with this new direction.

Niantic, originally a part of Google as Niantic Labs, gained fame through the augmented reality game Pokémon Go, which launched in 2016 and became a worldwide phenomenon. The company has since diversified with other titles like Monopoly Go!. The latest structural changes within Niantic Spatial reflect ongoing shifts in the gaming and tech landscape as companies strive for innovation in an evolving market.