Nova Launcher faces uncertain future after the company Branch slashes its development team

The future of Nova Launcher has become uncertain following significant layoffs by its parent company, Branch Metrics. Acquired in July 2022, the app's development team has been drastically reduced from around a dozen members to just one full-time developer, the original founder Kevin Barry.

The news was disclosed on Discord by Cliff Wade, Branch's director of customer relations, who also revealed that over 100 employees across the company, including himself, have been laid off. Wade mentioned that the future of the server should become clear in the coming days.

Despite the cuts, development on Nova Launcher will continue, albeit at a slower pace, with Barry as the sole developer. He expressed his disappointment over the company's decision but confirmed that the focus remains on completing Nova version 8.1, although with a reduced scope compared to the original plans.