While Pokémon Go players are still reeling from the implementation of several new updates, including a controversial change to the game's avatars, a development studio working on some of that content has been hit with layoffs.

Seattle-based development studio Very Very Spaceship has been working on a variety of projects, but notes that the team has been working on “tentpole features” for Pokémon Go in particular. Most recently, it worked on the updated character creation features that have been receiving criticism from the Pokémon Go community for weeks, with no real signs of change despite growing community feedback.

An undisclosed number of Very Very Spaceship employees were laid off on May 1, as Game Developer first reported. This round of layoffs reportedly included producers, recruiters, and artists, with several publicly confirming their departures. Among those laid off was 3D Character Artist Kelsey Martin, who is listed as the “lead” for Pokémon Go’s character update. He did concepting, planning, modeling, and more for the new features and models. In his exit post, Martin focused on the positives of the team’s work in making Pokémon Go more inclusive.

"After four orbits around the sun, my time at Very Very Spaceship has come to an end," Martin said on LinkedIn. "I'm very proud of the work we've done on Pokémon Go's Character Creator to add features to make it more inclusive and expressive for players. But now it's time for my next adventure."