Meta concurrently sheds workforce from Reality Labs division and brings aboard fresh hires in similar numbers.
Straight Talkin' 'Bout Meta's Latest Layoffs and Reality Labs Restructurin'
Meta's chopped the heads of some workers from their Reality Labs unit, focusin' on their Virtual Reality (VR) and hardware biz. This round of layoffs has hit Oculus Studios, the games division for Quest headsets, and the Supernatural crew, who make that VR fitness app that Meta shelled out a fortune for.
So Long, Fellas - Serves 'em right if they couldn't hack it. Some teams in Oculus Studios are goin' through restructurin' and role changes, which means less crew on board. The Supernatural team posted on Facebook about the changes, tellin' their subscribers they'll be seein' fewer weekly workouts.
This ain't their first rodeo - Meta slashed nearly 4,000 jobs earlier this year. Paperwork seen by our site showed that more than half the Horizon team got the boot due to poor performance.
Year of the Blunder, or Visionary Move? - It's crunch time for Meta's metaverse dreams, with 2025 marked as a critical year by Andrew Bosworth, the CTO of Meta and head of Reality Labs. The success of Horizon Worlds, the metaverse project, needs to take off on mobile devices for the company to stay in the game.
While Meta is thinning the herd, there are still 495 open positions at Reality Labs. The company's promises that those affected will be considered for other roles within Meta, with many offered interviews already. If they can't find a new gig, their last day'll be May 2025.
The Verge already spilled the beans on the cuts.
Find the whole deal at our site.
Key Insights:
- Meta's aimin' to streamline its Reality Labs division by cuttin' jobs and restructurin', focusin' on future mixed reality experiences.
- The layoffs primarily hit the Oculus Studios team, responsible for VR and AR games, and Supernatural crew, creators of the VR fitness app.
- The restructurin' is part of Meta's cost-cutting and reprioritization plan, known as the "Year of Efficiency."
- The success of Horizon Worlds, Meta's metaverse project, is crucial to its AR/VR ambitions, which face competition from players like Sony, Microsoft, and Google.
What departments have been affected by the layoffs in Meta's Reality Labs unit? - Oculus Studios and the Supernatural team
What is the focus of Meta's Reality Labs division as a result of the layoffs? - Future mixed reality experiences, including Virtual Reality (VR) and hardware
How many open positions are there at Reality Labs following the layoffs? - 495
Has there been any confirmation of a company-wide strategy related to these layoffs? - Yes, referred to as the "Year of Efficiency"
