Developer of Pokemon Go Niantic Lays Off 8% of Staff

Niantic Labs, known for creating the hit augmented reality gamePokemon 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 for navigate “any economic storms that may lie ahead,” according toBloomberg.

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 isstill moving forwardwith a new augmented reality game in partnership with the NBA calledNBA All-World, which was announced on Tuesday.