Studio behind Pokemon GO April 2024 avatar update reportedly undergoing layoffs

Pokemon GO's negatively received April 2024 avatar update may have reverberated beyond the game itself, as the studio that designed various aspects of the update is now laying off several employees. Multiple employees of Very Very Spaceship, a Seattle-based developer regularly contracted by Niantic to work on GO, have announced on social media that they've been let go.

While rumors had circulated online among Pokemon GO fans, they received confirmation on the subject on LinkedIn from Kelsey Martin, one of the 3D artists who worked with Very Very Spaceship directly on GO's ill-fated avatar and visual update, remarking in a post:

"After four orbits around the sun, my time at Very Very Spaceship has come to an end. I am very proud of the work we did on Pokemon Go’s Character Creator to add features to make it more inclusive and expressive for players. But now it’s time for my next adventure. If you know of any opportunities for a Senior Character and Game Artist, please let me know. Any help is appreciated." Kelsey Martin, LinkedIn, May 3, 2024

Meanwhile, other former employees also made light of the situation, including Sara Carmen H, a recruiter at Very Very Spaceship, who stated that their "escape pod was unexpectedly ejected and (they) were sadly laid off." Despite these layoffs, Very Very Spaceship appears to be actively working on features for Pokemon GO, though the specifics are unclear.

The timing of these layoffs leaves players wondering, did the reception of the avatar update resultingly lead to the layoffs at Very Very Spaceship? This article explores more.

Note: Parts of this article are speculative and reflect the writer's opinions.

---

Did Pokemon GO's poorly received avatar update lead to layoffs at Very Very Spaceship?

Pokemon GO's avatar update in April 2024 didn't win many admirers (Image via Niantic)

Although many developers at Very Very Spaceship have reported the end of their employment at the studio, and the timing certainly seems suspicious, it's difficult to tell whether or not the avatar update for Pokemon GO was directly involved. The timing of the layoffs right after the update's poor reception is suspicious, but the full reasoning of the layoffs may not be made apparent either way.

Suppose Very Very Spaceship or its former employees did disclose the reasonings for the layoffs and they were directly related to the avatar update. In that event, even more backlash would likely be levied on both Very Very Spaceship and Niantic for their handling of the situation, something that either party can ill afford given the current body of pushback from GO's fanbase.

Regardless of Very Very Spaceship's motives for the layoffs, the loss of employment for some of its workers is unfortunate. The development team will likely continue to collaborate with Niantic for the foreseeable future, and hopefully, the studio's former employees land on their feet with new and fulfilling employment.

Niantic employees have been collecting feedback on the ill-fated avatar update (Image via @MxKestrel/X)

According to Pokemon GO's lead community manager, Kestrel Riot, Niantic is actively collecting feedback on the issues players are pointing out in the avatar update. Hopefully, this will be used to fix the avatar update, and Very Very Spaceship will be involved in the process. However, it remains to be seen as to whether or not the results will meet player expectations.