SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- In the latest round of ongoing Bay Area tech layoffs, mobile game maker Niantic, Inc. announced it would be cutting dozens of jobs at its office in the San Francisco Ferry Building. In a filing with the Employment Development Department, Niantic said it would be laying off 68 employees permanently. The layoffs come on the heels of the company selling off its smash hit "Pokeman Go" and a few other games in a massive $3.85 billion deal. In a blog post last week, Niantic CEO John Hanke announced that Niantic would be splitting into two companies. Following the acquisition of the company's games and business team, Niantic will spin off its technology platform into Niantic Spatial Inc., according to Hanke. Bay Area elementary schools make 2025 California Distinguished list "Thank you for your patience as we worked through the structure of the new company we are creating, which will be a more focused organization dedicated to delivering on the promise of geospatial AI." As part of the transition, Hanke said, Niantic would be pivoting "to operate as a startup organization, focused on the road ahead." "We carefully evaluated the structure we believe is needed for the new company, and after a lot of consideration, it became clear that some roles would not be required given our new focus," he added. "These decisions are never easy; they in no way reflect the individuals' performance, and we understand their impact on people's lives," the CEO added. "We deeply appreciate the talented individuals who helped us get here and for their many contributions and will support them as they transition to new opportunities." The Niantic layoffs follow similar Bay Area tech job cuts this week at AppLovin and Jack Dorsey's Block. ...read more read less