After less than a full year of play, NBA All-World is shutting down, with Niantic concentrating efforts on Pokémon Go. Not only is AR title from our list of basketball games up for the chop, but the developer has also canceled the upcoming superhero title Marvel World of Heroes while laying off over 200 staff.
Niantic shared a statement from CEO John Hanke detailing the change in the organizational structure and development plans in regard NBA All-World and Marvel World of Heroes on June 29. While it’s a pretty long statement, the general idea is that Niantic is scaling back in-house development, lowering staff numbers, and closing its LA office.
The given reason for the change in direction is due to rising costs for the company in comparison to profit. While the pandemic boom allowed Niantic to expand rapidly and invest heavily in new technology and titles, a return to pre-Covid engagement and in-game spending means the numbers now don’t add up. This lack in revenue means a change in the corporate structure and the cancellation of NBA All-World and Marvel World of Heroes.
Still, there’s hope for other Niantic games outside of Pokémon Go, with the Niantic statement reading, “I am confident about the prospects for Pikmin Bloom, Peridot, and Monster Hunter Now, but we have a lot of work to do.” To get your head around all the changes going on at the developer, check out the statement on the official Niantic website.
There you have it, the news NBA All-World is shutting down as Niantic reimagines its corporate structure. While you’re here, be sure to check out our Pokémon Go Community Day guide to see what’s coming up, or grab some freebies with our Pokémon Go codes.
