When it was founded in 2016, Seattle’s Rec. Room was considered a unicorn of sorts, a unique online gaming, virtual reality and shared experience platform. Now, it’s laying off workers.
The unique online platform will shed 141 jobs by Octiober
Rec. Room has been described as a user-generated content universe, where participants could build their own games, share experiences with others, and create their own virtual reality spaces, and more—and it was free.
The layoffs, announced by way of a WARN Alert from WA State Employment Security, it now leaves the company with less than half of its original staff, about 100.
Geekwire reports that company officials said the layoffs were some of the toughest decisions they’ve ever had to make, and said the company was becoming too “stretched” trying to create so many different kinds of content.
Some the game’s peak levels came during the 2020-2021 pandemic.
Some speculate it is also tied to the new array of taxes and fees that have been aimed at digital and computer companies in WA; the new taxes went into effect this summer.
