Breaking: Pokemon GO Developer Niantic's Major Overhaul - Expect Surprises!

Niantic recently made significant layoffs within their team of developers for popular AR mobile games such as Pokemon GO. The game has been facing criticism from users for its current state.

Pokemon GO has been experiencing controversy lately, with the community expressing dissatisfaction over what they perceive as a lack of major changes to the game in recent years. The updates the game has received have also been the subject of debate. For instance, the most recent update that increased the spawn radius for Pokemon around the player initially received positive feedback before being quickly retracted and removed by Niantic. Now, Niantic has made another significant announcement, which could be seen as either a positive development or a negative indication of the developer's competence, depending on one's perspective.

A recent press release from Niantic discloses significant organizational changes in the future of the mobile game development studio. Unfortunately, Niantic, based in San Francisco, has decided to lay off over 200 employees. As part of this restructuring, the studio is discontinuing NBA All World, one of its recent titles. Additionally, the production of Marvel: World of Heroes, a brand new app that was still in beta, will also be halted. It is expected that a considerable number of employees who were involved in the development of these titles will be affected by the company's streamlining efforts.

Niantic's decision to remove two of its major new titles comes with a trade-off. The company is now intensifying its efforts to maintain and expand the popularity of Pokemon GO. John Hanke, CEO of Niantic, expresses that the utmost priority is to ensure the continued success of Pokemon GO as a long-term game. Despite making some adjustments to the Pokemon GO team, Niantic's investment in the product and team remains on an upward trajectory.

The loss of NBA All World and Marvel: World of Heroes may not significantly impact most users. NBA All World has only amassed slightly over half a million downloads and garners a rating of 3.9 stars on the Google Play store. In comparison, the official NBA 2K mobile game has recorded more than 10 million downloads and boasts a rating of 4.2 stars, clearly indicating which game is preferred by sports gaming enthusiasts. As for Marvel: World of Heroes, it never received a global release, but feedback from those who tested the game during its regional beta tests was mixed. Hopefully, by narrowing their focus to Pokemon GO, Niantic will be able to regain the support of a fanbase that currently feels disconnected.

Source: Niantic