It Appears Meta Has Shut Down Several VR Studios
Several laid-off employees have reported cuts at Meta* VR studios. Among those affected are Twisted Pixel Games, known for the Splosion Man and Comic Jumper series, and Sanzaru Games, which developed Asgard’s Wrath for the original Oculus Rift.
Twisted Pixel Games was founded in 2006 and gained popularity through successful projects on Xbox Live Arcade, including The Maw and Ms. Splosion Man. In November 2021, the studio became part of Meta, and last year it released Marvel’s Deadpool VR for Meta Quest 3.
Sanzaru Games also emerged in 2006 and primarily worked on ports and remasters of Sony games, such as Secret Agent Clank, The Sly Collection, and God of War Collection. In 2019, the studio released Asgard’s Wrath for Oculus Rift, and after being acquired by Meta, it worked on a sequel.
I've just been laid off. It appears the entire @twisted_pixel games studio has been shut down. @SanzaruGames too
Developers confirmed the studio closures on social media. Twisted Pixel Games designer Andy Gentile wrote on X: "I've just been laid off. It appears the entire Twisted Pixel games studio has been shut down. Sanzaru Games too." Sanzaru Games senior designer Ray West noted on LinkedIn: "Several Meta game studios closed today, including Sanzaru. The team was amazing, but onward—I'm open to new opportunities."
According to The New York Times, Meta plans to cut about 10% of employees in its Reality Labs division, which is responsible for VR devices, games, and metaverse development. Reality Labs CEO Andrew Bosworth held a meeting with employees and called it the "most important" of the year. It appears the company is gradually winding down VR projects and reallocating resources to artificial intelligence research and the development of wearable devices, including smart glasses and bracelets.
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