Ingress developer Niantic Labs splits from Google

Niantic Labs, known for the augmented reality game Ingress, among other things, splits from Google and becomes an independent company. Niantic Labs was founded in 2010 and released its first product Field Trip in September 2012.

With the split from Google, the name also changes to Niantic Inc, the company reports on its Google+ page. The first incarnation of the augmented reality game Ingress was released for Android in November 2012. An iOS version appeared in mid-2014. Various missions can be played in the game, such as ‘capturing’ objects such as public works of art or buildings.

Speculation about the reason for the split, especially in light of the arrival of the new Alphabet umbrella for all Google’s companies, is circulating. The new company seems to say in the Google+ post that it will continue to work with Google, but only as partners. It is unknown whether Niantic Inc will become fully independent or come under the umbrella of Google’s parent company Alphabet, although it is obvious that Niantic will not be part of Alphabet.

According to the post on Google+, the company is building on the success of Ingress, which has been or is being played by more than 250,000 people around the world. In addition, a new ar-game has been planned for a while in the form of Endgame: Proving Ground. This game, with accompanying books and a movie, should be released ‘in 2015’. The first physical book was released on October 7, 2014.

The name Niantic is derived from a whaler who brought fortune seekers to Yerba Buena, present-day San Francisco, during the California Gold Rush in the mid-1800s. The Niantic Project was a fictional research project in the Ingress story.