Meta has confirmed the shutdown of three internal studios, including Sanzaru Games, a developer closely tied to the Sonic franchise through its work on the Sonic Boom series.
The closures were confirmed to Gematsu and follow reporting from Bloomberg that Meta plans to cut more than 1,000 jobs across its Reality Labs division, which oversees virtual reality hardware and software.
For Sonic fans, Sanzaru’s shutdown is the most notable development. The studio developed Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal and Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice for Nintendo 3DS, entries that formed part of SEGA’s short-lived Sonic Boom sub-series. While those titles received mixed reactions, they represented a distinct era for the franchise, experimenting with new character designs, tone, and gameplay ideas outside Sonic’s mainline releases.
Sanzaru joined Meta in February 2020 and later shifted its focus to virtual reality development under Oculus Studios, working on titles such as Asgard’s Wrath and Asgard’s Wrath 2. Prior to its VR era, the studio was also known for Sony-published projects like The Sly Collection and Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time.
Meta is also closing Armature Studio and Twisted Pixel, both acquired in October 2022. In a statement, Meta said the decision reflects a broader strategic shift away from parts of its Metaverse investment, with resources being redirected toward wearables and other growth areas.
For Sonic history, Sanzaru’s closure marks the end of a studio that played a key role in one of the franchise’s more experimental chapters, even if that era remains divisive among fans.
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