Meta lays off more employees in latest round of job cuts

Meta

Meta has initiated a fresh round of layoffs within its Reality Labs division, narrowing its focus on efficiency and future mixed reality development.

The cuts impacted an unspecified number of employees in Oculus Studios, the unit behind virtual and augmented reality games for Meta’s Quest headsets. The story was first reported by The Verge and later confirmed by CNBC.

A Meta spokesperson confirmed to CNBC the restructuring, stating that the changes are designed to help Oculus Studios “work more efficiently on future mixed reality experiences for our growing audience.” However, the move has come at a human cost, affecting developers tied to some of Meta’s more prominent VR efforts, including the Supernatural fitness app.

In a message posted to the official Supernatural Facebook group, the company acknowledged the layoffs with a somber note: “Their contributions have been instrumental in shaping our journey and yours, and their absence will be deeply felt.”

These job cuts follow a broader Meta workforce reduction earlier this year, when the company trimmed 5% of staff it deemed low performers.

Meta has been under pressure to streamline operations and rein in costs at Reality Labs, its experimental division focused on building the metaverse through devices and immersive software.

Reality Labs posted an operating loss of $4.97 billion in Q4 2024, against $1.1 billion in revenue, underscoring the scale of Meta’s investment in what remains a long-term and uncertain bet on the future of computing.

With Meta’s next earnings report due Wednesday, analysts will be watching closely for updates on the company’s strategy around VR and AR, especially as rivals like Apple and Samsung explore mixed reality in their own ways