Who makes it · Developer and publisher
Niantic
Based in San Francisco, California, United States Founded 2010 Part of Scopely
Niantic is the US developer of location-based mobile games played in the real world, including Pokémon GO (made under licence from The Pokémon Company), Ingress, Pikmin Bloom and Monster Hunter Now. Its games are free to play and earn money mainly from in-game purchases. In 2025 its games business was sold to Scopely.
Track-record badges
What stands out, worst first
- Large layoffs
Large layoffs
June 2023: cut about 230 jobs (about 25% of staff), closed its Los Angeles studio and cancelled two games.
Track record
What's on the record, newest first
- Other
Niantic sold its games business, including Pokémon GO, to Scopely for $3.5 billion
Niantic agreed to sell its games business, including Pokémon GO, Pikmin Bloom and Monster Hunter Now, to Scopely, a subsidiary of Saudi Arabia's Savvy Games Group, in a deal valued at $3.5 billion; it closed on 29 May 2025. Niantic's technology platform was spun off as Niantic Spatial Inc., which kept Ingress Prime and Peridot.
Scopely - Privacy
Niantic said scans made by Pokémon GO players were training its AI mapping model
Niantic announced a 'Large Geospatial Model' built from millions of location scans made by players of Pokémon GO, Ingress and its Scaniverse app, which the games encouraged through optional tasks. The technology went to Niantic Spatial after the 2025 sale; in June 2026 Ars Technica reported a Niantic Spatial partnership with Vantor on positioning systems that could guide drones, and both companies said no Pokémon GO data was shared directly. Niantic Spatial said the scans were optional and had been disclosed in its privacy policy since 2019.
The Verge - Workplace
Former employees alleged sex discrimination and unequal pay at Niantic
A former employee filed a proposed class action in California alleging that Niantic paid women less than men in comparable roles and fostered a 'boys' club' culture; a second former employee later joined the case. Niantic asked for the case to be moved to private arbitration, which a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge refused in November 2023. The claims are allegations; no ruling on them was reported in the sources reviewed.
The Verge - Labour
Niantic laid off about 230 staff and closed its Los Angeles studio
Niantic cut about 230 jobs, about 25% of its staff, closed its Los Angeles studio, shut down NBA All-World and cancelled Marvel: World of Heroes, with its chief executive saying expenses had grown faster than revenue. A year earlier it had cut about 8% of staff and cancelled four projects.
Bloomberg - Court case
Niantic settled homeowners' class action over Pokémon GO players trespassing
US homeowners sued in 2016, saying PokéStops and Gyms placed on or near their property brought trespassing players. Under the settlement Niantic agreed to answer 95 per cent of complaints within 15 days, remove PokéStops or Gyms within 40 metres of a complaining homeowner's property, avoid placing new ones near single-family homes and add in-game reminders to be courteous to local communities. It paid about $4 million in total, mostly legal fees, and did not accept liability.
GamesIndustry.biz - Good practice
Niantic added parental-consent accounts for children
Niantic launched Niantic Kids, a sign-in system built with SuperAwesome's Kids Web Services that lets parents review and approve their children's in-app permissions and control what personal information is shared in Pokémon GO.
The Verge - Court case
Settled a class action over connection problems at the first Pokémon GO Fest
Niantic's first Pokémon GO Fest, held in Chicago in July 2017, was disrupted by connection problems; Niantic refunded the $20 tickets and gave attendees in-game items. It later agreed to a $1,575,000 class-action settlement to reimburse attendees' travel costs such as flights and hotels, with any money left over going to two non-profit organisations.
TechCrunch - Privacy
Pokémon GO's iPhone sign-in requested full access to players' Google accounts
Days after launch, the iOS version of Pokémon GO requested full access to the Google accounts of players who signed in with Google, without saying so during sign-in. Niantic said the request was an error, that the game only accessed basic profile information (user ID and email address), and that Google had verified no other information was accessed; an app update the next day limited the permissions.
Ars Technica
Settlements are often made without an admission of wrongdoing; we say so where it matters. Follow each source for the full detail.
Games in the guide
What Niantic made or published
Each game's money rating is its own: it comes from how that game makes money, not from the company's record.
Last checked 1 November 2026. Sources: arstechnica.com, www.theverge.com, www.theverge.com, www.theguardian.com, techcrunch.com, www.theverge.com, www.gamesindustry.biz, www.theverge.com, www.gamesindustry.biz, www.gamesindustry.biz, www.theverge.com, www.gamesindustry.biz, www.gamesindustry.biz, kotaku.com, www.theverge.com, www.gamesindustry.biz, www.theverge.com, www.theverge.com, www.gamesindustry.biz, www.theverge.com, arstechnica.com, www.scopely.com, www.theverge.com, www.gamesindustry.biz, explore.scopely.com, www.bloomberg.com. Spotted something wrong or missing? Send a correction.