It appears that Niantic is materially reckoning with the fact that nothing will ever be quite as big Pokémon Go once was. Unfortunately, that means a number of canceled projects and, much worse, layoffs.

According to a new Bloomberg report, Niantic CEO John Hanke informed the company that 8% of the staff was being laid off — so around 85-90 people — as the company faces "a time of economic turmoil" during which it has been "reducing costs in a variety of areas."

In addition, four projects have been canceled. One is the mobile AR partnership with Hasbro and TOMY it announced last year, called Transformers: Heavy Metal. Another was announced a year prior, as a collaboration between Niantic and the New York-based immersive theatre company behind promenade theatre production Sleep No More, Punchdrunk. Two additional projects canceled were reportedly codenamed Blue Sky and Snowball.

Niantic has existed since 2010, and was initially known for its location-based community game Ingress. But it gained fame when it took the same location-based mechanics it had developed for Ingress and partnered with The Pokémon Company for Pokémon Go, which has proven a consistent revenue driver for the company since its 2016 launch. At last estimate from mobile analytics group Sensor Tower, it has brought in $6 billion in lifetime revenue, averaging $1 billion in revenue per year and maintaining consistent popularity over that time.

But its other games haven't managed the same level of success. Despite a solid enough launch month with over $12 million in global player spending, Harry Potter: Wizards Unite lagged far behind Pokémon Go's $300 million launch and never came close to catching up, shutting down earlier this year. Pikmin Bloom has done even worse, only reaching over $5 million in global revenue since its launch last year, though it remains live.

The lack of traction for either game might sound shocking given the IP involved and Pokémon Go's own success, but the truth is that no other location-based game has managed to capture the same level of attention, Niantic or no. Minecraft Earth, for instance, shut down last year following struggles with maintaining a location-based game amid COVID-19. And Pokémon Go's closest recent competitors, Dragon Quest Walk and Jurassic World Alive, combined couldn't even bring in half of what Pokemon Go did in the first quarter of this year.

With all these struggles, it's easy enough to see the trajectory of Niantic's significant scaling up following Pokémon Go's unexpected explosive success, and the subsequent decision to scale down when no other licensed game could touch that level of popularity. Unfortunately, it's a decision that impacted human beings.

"We recently decided to stop production on some projects and reduce our workforce by about 8% to focus on our key priorities," said a Niantic spokesperson to Bloomberg. "We are grateful for the contributions of those leaving Niantic and we are supporting them through this difficult transition."

With Pokémon Go remaining steady, it seems unlikely Niantic as a whole is in danger. And it still has multiple new projects in the works, including Tamagotchi-like game Peridot announced in April and NBA All-World, an NBA licensed game published by Niantic and developed by HypGames, announced yesterday.

Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.

Chris Hemsworth has said that Christian Bale’s Gorr the God Butcher is one of his favorite Marvel villains, and it’s more and more apparent why as we get closer to release – Gorr is intense.

Ever since his initial reveal, Gorr’s new MCU design has been the subject of (sometimes heated) discussion among Marvel fans, if only because it’s so distinct. Gorr is all the more interesting when you take into account his scars, which Bale says has a lot to do with the character’s origin.

Light spoilers for Thor: Love and Thunder

“He's a highly religious character at the beginning with tattoos displaying his piousness, and then he becomes disillusioned with that, and then literally just mutilates himself to get rid of that,” Bale explains in a new interview with IGN.

An interesting bit of trivia, perhaps, but apparently Thor: Love and Thunder went so far as to actually include the scene in which Gorr cuts out his tattoos. Ultimately, though, it was perhaps a bit too much for a family-friendly superhero film, even given the MCU’s darker and gorier turn with films like Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

“It was perhaps a little bit too extreme to be included in the film, but there was a lot of wonderful stuff that we shot. But you know that as an actor. You always know, hey, you're going to experiment. Some things can work, some things don't, and we want this to be a family film. My kids love it,” Bale says.

Who knows, maybe we’ll see it in the home release.

In the meantime, we have this somewhat brighter clip from Thor: Love and Thunder, in which Natalie Portman’s Mighty Thor shows that she’s good at saving lives but bad at catchphrases. Thor: Love and Thunder releases July 8.

Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.

Haslab has revealed its latest project: an ultra high-quality version of G.I. Joe's H.I.S.S. Tank complete with battery-powered LED lights, removable armor, and more.

Available to backers for a cool $299.99, the H.I.S.S. Tank is currently in the midst of a crowdfunding campaign via the Hasbro Pulse platform. It will require 8000 backers to fully fund the campaign, with stretch goals for every 2000 additional backers.

Habro Pulse bills iteslf as a crowdfunding platform that aims to "put dream products into the hands of fans, via their support." Its other projects include high-quality Transformers, Star Wars, and Ghostbusters toys.

In G.I. Joe, the High Speed Sentry (H.I.S.S.) tank is Cobra's mainstay on the battlefield, with the premium toy version featuring an illuminated control panel, articulated turret, functioning wheels with moving treads, and other details. Completing the package is a "highly-articulated" H.I.S.S. Driver action figure.

The H.I.S.S. Tank is now live on Hasbro Pulse and currently has about 2000 backers. Check out the gallery above for a closer look.

Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.

007’s next outing will completely reinvent the James Bond series. According to producer Barbara Broccoli, the 26th Bond movie will reinvent who James Bond is… but they haven’t found an actor to take up the mantle just yet.

“Nobody’s in the running,” she said in a new story via Deadline. “We’re working out where to go with him, we’re talking that through. There isn’t a script, and we can’t come up with one until we decide how we’re going to approach the next film because, really, it’s a reinvention of Bond. We’re reinventing who he is and that takes time. I’d say that filming is at least two years away.”

Broccoli’s comments were made during a BFI Fellowship dinner where she and Michael G. Wilson were honored for their fellowship. The pair were awarded their fellowships by series regulars Ralph Fiennes and Naomie Harris… and it seems that Fiennes couldn’t help but quip that he’s on-hand and ready to train up the new 007.

“[You] killed Bond,” he joked, referencing Daniel Craig’s exit in No Time to Die. “Naomie and I are the people to fix it. You find him and we’ll train him.”

Of course, Broccoli previously stated that the search for the next James Bond would begin in 2022 after Craig’s dramatic exit prompted speculation about who would become the world’s greatest spy in his wake.

“We're not thinking about it at all,” she said at the time. “We want Daniel [Craig] to have his time of celebration. Next year we'll start thinking about the future.”

Craig first portrayed Bond in the 2006 film Casino Royale. He reprised the role of 007 in 2008's Quantum of Solace, 2012's Skyfall, and 2015's Spectre, which have collectively grossed more than $3.1 billion at the worldwide box office.

Who will take up the role of Bond, James Bond? For now, we’ll have to wait and see.

But it looks as though the search is on for the next 007. And it sounds as though it’s going to be an exciting time to be a secret agent.

Want to find out more about 007? Check out Broccoli's comments about why 007 can never be a woman and Daniel Craig’s advice for the next British superspy.

Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

Today you can score the lowest price ever on a great retro piece of gaming hardware; the Game & Watch: Legend of Zelda system is 20% off only at Walmart. In other deal news, score a 48" LG 4K OLED gaming monitor for the lowest price we've seen all year, sign up for 4 months of Amazon Music Unlimited or 3 months of Audible Premium Plus for free ahead of Amazon Prime Day, treat yourself to an Alienware Aurora RTX 3080 gaming PC for under $1700, or pick up an RTX 3080 GPU standalone for only $769.99.

Game & Watch: The Legend of Zelda

Score a rare 20% off this popular little Zelda collectible. The Game & Watch is a miniature retro handheld game system that comes preloaded with The Legend of Zelda, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, and The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening. It's very well designed with a vibrant full color 2.36" LCD screen and intuitive control buttons, all in a tiny footprint that can even fit in your pocket. Walmart is currently the only vendor that has it at this price.

48" LG C1 4K OLED Smart Gaming TV

Supports 4K @ 120Hz for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X gamers

This is the lowest price we've seen for both the 48" TV. Yes this is a TV, but it happens to be one of the best gaming PC monitors as well. Compared to traditional LED LCD TVs, OLED panels offer better image quality, deeper blacks, better contrast ratio, wider color gamut, and super fast response times. OLED TVs excel at both gaming and viewing 4K HDR content. In terms of general usability, they consume less power and they're very thin and sit flusher against the wall. Amongst OLED TVs, the LG C1 is oft considered the flag bearer; it's the one TV that all other OLED TVs are compared against. The LG OLED TV boasts several generations of optimizations under its belt and the latest C1 model is future proofed with technology like HDMI 2.1 (4K @ 120Hz), variable refresh rate, G-SYNC, the newest LG A9 Gen4 processor and a revamped webOS smart TV interface.

55" Hisense U8G 4K Android TV for $599

HDMI 2.1 for 4K @ 120Hz

Thie Hisense U8G is a fantastic TV at a budget price. It's one of the highest end TVs that Hisense sells and its picture quality competes with the top-end LED LCD TV models from Samsung, LG, and Sony. The U8G is the 2021 model that replaces the 2020 U9G. It has two HDMI 2.1 ports and a native 120Hz panel so it can push 4K @ 120Hz with PS5 and Xbox Series X consoles. It does a great job at displaying HDR content thanks to its high peak brightness and excellent black levels. It also makes a good gaming TV since it has a fast response time. Don't be fooled into thinking this is a bad TV because of the brand; it's one of the best 55" TV you'll find in this price range.

Logitech BRIO 4K Ultra HD Webcam for $140

If you want the best video quality from a consumer webcam, there's nothing better than the Logitech BRIO. It's capable of streaming 4K at 30fps or 1080p at 60fps. It also includes a privacy shutter and supports Windows Hello. The Logitech BRIO normally retails for $200, but it's currently almost $60 (30%) off on Amazon.

55% off Polypropylene Ninja Training Sword

Whether you're a ninja in training or a cosplayer, having a non-life-threatening replica ninja sword on hand is practical and convenient. Get two so you can spar with a buddy. This polypropylene sword measures 33.5" long and includes a sword guard.

Razer Anzu Smart Glasses

These Razer smart glasses retail for a ridiculous $199.99. Fortunately, they're on sale today for a much more reasonable price of $59.97. The Razer Anzu glasses comes with two types of interchangeable lenses; blue-light filtering lenses for PC use and polarized lenses for outdoor use. They also feature a built-in mic and bluetooth speaker for hands-free calling.

4 Free Months of Amazon Music Unlimited

Log into your Amazon Prime account to see this deal

If you're an Amazon Prime member and you've never signed up for Amazon Music Unlimited, you can get 4 months of service completely free. Amazon Music Unlimited normally costs $9.99/mo. You get access to millions of songs similar to other streaming services like Spotify or Pandora. You can choose from preset playlists for pick out specific songs and build your own. Since music streaming services can rack up in price and don't offer too many discounts or free months, this is a deal worth signing up for.

3 Free Months of Audible Premium Plus

Log into your Amazon Prime account to see this deal

This is another targeted deal for Amazon Prime members who have never subscribed for the Audible Premium Plus service. That's right, no hidden fees, no cost, just a straight-up 3-month free trial including three audiobooks of your choosing. That's an outstanding deal considering the membership would usually set you back $14.95 per month, so in total you're saving almost $45 overall on the service.

Alienware Aurora R10 RTX 3080 Gaming PC for $1673

Amazon has the best price on this RTX 3080 equipped Alienware Aurora gaming PC. It's $150 cheaper than getting the same configuration from Dell directly even compared to Dell's sale price. In addition to the powerful RTX 3080 GPU, this PC boasts a liquid-cooled AMD Ryzen 7 5800X 8-core processor, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD.

Dell S2721DGF 27" 1440p GSYNC Gaming Monitor

This excellent monitor has hit a new price low for Black Friday. It's one of the best 27" gaming monitors you can buy for under $500. The S2721DGF boasts a high quality IPS panel (better than the VA panel found on the popular S3220DGF model). It features wide viewing angles and excellent color rendition including 98% DCI-P3 color coverage, a super fast 1ms response time and up to 165Hz refresh rate through the DisplayPort. It's also FreeSync Premium Pro and G-SYNC compatible.

Gigabyte GeForce RTX 3080 GPU for $769.99

These are easily the best prices we've seen for an RTX 3080 video card since launch. At this price point, the RTX 3080 is a better value than the 3080 Ti, which costs at least $250 more at reputable vendors. The performance gap between the 3080 and 3080 Ti is about 3%, hardly noticeable. The 3080 is significantly more powerful than the previous generation's flagship RTX 2080 SUPER. This is the card you want to get if you plan to game at 4K.

Razer Iskur X Gaming Chair

The price of the Razer Iskur chair has dropped by a whopping $150 down to $249.99. This is a fantastic price for a Razer Iskur gaming chair. The Iskur X model is very similar to the original Iskur model. It lacks the adjustable lumbar spline and has 2D armrests instead of 3D, but the build quality and premium materials are identical. It's a superior chair than Razer's economically priced Enki chair, and with this discount it's cheaper too! The Razer Iskur commands a high retail price tag for a reason; it's well-engineered with plenty of high quality materials and usable features. It's upholstered in multi-layered synthetic leather that's more durable than PU leather. There's also plenty of high density foam cushioning to keep you comfortable during intense gaming marathons.

New 2022 Apple MacBook Pro 14" M2 Laptop

We're finally seeing a 2022 Apple MacBook Pro laptop equipped with the brand new M2 chip in the wild. Amazon has the 14" model up for sale right now for a very reasonable MSRP of $1299. The new M2 chip is reported to be about 18% more powerful than the previous generation M1 chip, which was already a speed demon for its price range. The M2 chip is also extremely power efficient, with this laptop boasting up to 20 hours of battery life on a single charge. In addition to the new M2 CPU, this laptop features a gorgeous 13" Retina display with 500 nits of brightness and P3 wide color, 10-core GPU, 8GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD.

Masterbuilt Gravity 560 Digital Charcoal Smoker

Let me preface by saying that I have owned this particular smoker for the past few years and have done no less than fifty ribs, tri-tips, roasts, and smoked salmon candy in this unit. I highly recommend it. A digitally controlled fan conveys smoky hot air from the gravity fed chute to the main chamber where your meat resides. It switches on and off based on the temp. It's simple (and thus not many things that can go wrong) and very effective. Cleanup is a cinch since the ash from the charcoal drops down to a removable pot in the lower chamber. Amazon currently has it for about $200 off MSRP.

$120 Off Apple AirPods Max Headphones

Not everyone can afford Apple's best AirPods, but for those who can, they'll be treated to a $95 discount from Amazon, making this the lowest price we've ever seen. Obviously the sound quality on these AirPods Max headphones are phenomenal, but what really takes the cake is the build quality. There are no other headphones in its price range that is built as well as the AirPods Max. They are literally a work of art.

40% Off Elden Ring Official Strategy Guides Preorder

Out July 29

There's no question that Elden Ring is a difficult game, so don't feel bad if you find yourself struggling. Fortunately, you can get a little help in the form of FromSoftware's official Elden Ring strategy guide that comes out next month. It's comprised of two volumes, each unveiling secrets, tips, and maps of everything that Elden Ring has to offer. Even if you've got this game down pat, you might want to pick up these books simply to learn more about the lore and enjoy the canon artwork. These books are normally $49.99, but today they're only $29.99, a whopping 40% off discount.

10% Off $50 Nintendo eShop Gift Card

Save $5 off any game at the eShop with this digital gift card from Amazon. Use it to pick up rarely discounted favorites like Super Smash Bros Ultimate or Metroid Dread, recent new releases like Kirby and the Forgotten Land or Triangle Strategy, or DLC like the new one for Animal Crossing: New Horizon. Or you can just hold onto the card and use it during the next eShop sale, since it stacks with instant discounts.

48" Gigabyte AORUS 4K OLED Gaming Monitor

This is the lowest price you'll find currently for a 48" 4K OLED gaming monitor that boasts HDMI 2.1 inputs for 4K @ 120Hz and VRR. That means this is a worthy monitor for your RTX 30 series equipped video card (which has HDMI 2.1 outputs) or a PS5 or Xbox Series X console. Unlike an LG OLED TV, it doesn't have TV-centric features, mostly notably Dolby Vision support and a built-in Smart TV interface, but it does make up for it with more connectivity options like DisplayPort, USB Type-C, and USB 3.0.

$70 Off the Apple Watch Series 7

$50 Off the Apple Watch SE

The Series 7 is Apple's latest and greatest watch. The biggest upgrade the Series 7 has over the Series 6 is the display. It has the same always-on Retina display, but it's 20% bigger and features a more crack-resistant front crystal screen. It also adds on even more health-related features, like measuring your blood oxygen or taking an ECG. It's inarguably the best smartwatch on the market right now. If you don't need the health related features, you can save $100 and go with the Apple Watch SE instead. Despite the low price tag, this watch is still big on features, such as a large Retina OLED display, 2x faster CPU than the Series 3, heart rate monitoring, GPS, swimproof design, haptic feedback, and more.

3 Months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for $1

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate normally costs $14.99 per month, but right now new customers can get 3 months for only $1. The sheer amount of value you get with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is impressive. This membership gives you both Xbox Live Gold, Xbox Game Pass, and Xbox Game Pass for PC. Xbox Live Gold is required for online gaming. Xbox Game Pass gives you access to a huge library of games that is free as long as you maintain your membership. The list includes AAA games that you can play as early as launch day. These include Forza Horizon 5, Halo Infinite, Sniper Elite 5, Farming Simulator 2022, Microsoft Flight Simulator, and much more.

New 42" LG Evo C2 4K OLED Gaming TV

Supports 4K @ 120Hz for PS5 and Xbox Series X

For many of you who have been patiently waiting for the LG Evo C2 42" 4K OLED TV, now you can rejoice. The majority of the 2022 Evo C2 lineup had been released earlier in the year, but for whatever reason LG had decided to hold off on its new 42" size until now. This highly anticipated TV is finally orderable on Amazon and ships immediately. The 42" replaces LG's 48" as its smallest 4K OLED TV on the market. It performs just as well as its larger sized siblings as a gaming TV, but where it really shines is as a gaming monitor for your PC.

65" TCL 4-Series 4K Roku TV for $398

55" for $298

For most people, the two biggest priorities for a TV are (1) price and (2) size. That's why a TV like this TCL 4-series is so popular; if you're looking specifically for a 65" or 55" TV, you'd be hard pressed to find a lower price. This TCL TV offers solid picture quality without burning a hole in your wallet, and it even has built-in Roku smart TV functionality. It might not look as good as a $1500 TV, but you could fund the rest of your home entertainment or gaming system with the amount you just saved.

Klipsch Promedia 2.1ch Computer Speakers

Update: This is the newer model with wireless Bluetooth streaming.

The Klipsch Promedia 2.1 speakers have been around for over 2 decades, but it's still considered one of the best computer speakers under $200. It's normally listed for $169.99, but today Walmart has it for only $89, a 48% savings. This THX-certified speaker set includes two satellite speakers with 3/4" soft dome tweeter with 3” midrange drivers and a 6.5" 200W powered subwoofer for some intense bass.