Meta cuts jobs at Reality Labs and Oculus Studios
Meta is once again trimming its XR workforce, with VR fitness and game development teams taking the brunt of the impact.
The latest round of layoffs hits employees in Meta’s Reality Labs division, as the company confirmed to The Verge. The exact number of jobs on the chopping block this time remains unclear. What is known: the cuts are primarily targeting Oculus Studios — Meta’s in-house gaming arm — as well as certain teams focused on hardware development.
One area taking a particularly heavy hit is Supernatural, Meta’s VR fitness offering. According to a company spokesperson, the reorganization is designed to help studios focus on mixed reality projects for a growing user base, while maintaining quality content for current customers. Despite the job losses, Meta reiterated its commitment to mixed reality experiences — especially in fitness and gaming.
Layoffs have become routine
Meta’s acquisition of Supernatural studio Within was anything but straightforward, dragging on for a year and a half as the FTC challenged the deal over antitrust concerns. In the end, Meta prevailed, purchasing Within for over $400 million.
This latest round of cuts follows a pattern of repeated layoffs in recent years. Back in late 2022, Meta slashed 11,000 jobs — roughly 13 percent of its workforce at the time. CEO Mark Zuckerberg chalked it up to poor forecasting: Meta had bet that pandemic-fueled growth would continue, only to get it wrong.
The trend continued in early 2023, with another 10,000 positions cut. Zuckerberg declared 2023 the “year of efficiency,” and called the previous period a sobering moment for the company. At one point, Meta lost more than three-quarters of its market capitalization.
Spring 2023 brought another wave of cuts to the XR division. About a third of the staff at Ready at Dawn — makers of Lone Echo — were let go. Downpour Interactive, the studio behind the VR shooter Onward, also saw significant staff departures.
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