Key Takeaways
The Sandbox is laying off over 50% of its workforce and moving away from metaverse projects.
The company will soon unveil a meme coin launchpad on Base.
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The Sandbox, the high-profile metaverse and NFT platform backed by Animoca Brands, is undergoing a large-scale restructuring and executive transition, according to a new report from The Big Whale, a France-based media outlet covering the crypto and web3 ecosystem.
🔴 Exclusive @TheBigWhale_
The metaverse @TheSandboxGame is laying off more than 50% of its staff and the founders have been pushed aside
A memecoin launchpad on Base (modeled after @pumpdotfun) is expected to be announced soon pic.twitter.com/kE46tG2PCF
— Grégory Raymond 🐳 (@gregory_raymond) August 27, 2025
A new statement on The Sandbox’s official X account said some of the reporting contained inaccuracies or lacked context.
The first reports said The Sandbox would cut 50% of its workforce and close multiple offices. The company did not directly comment on the scale of layoffs but said the “office closures” mainly referred to small hubs of one to three contractors, not full operations. After the restructuring, The Sandbox will continue to operate in nine locations worldwide.
Arthur Madrid and Sébastien Borget, co-founders of The Sandbox, were reported to be stepping back from daily operations. The Sandbox clarified that both remain deeply involved: Madrid is now chairman, while Borget serves as global ambassador, representing the company online and at events worldwide. Robby Yung, CEO of Investments at Animoca Brands and a longtime Sandbox director, has been appointed CEO.
Reports also suggested The Sandbox is pivoting away from its metaverse ambitions toward web3 applications. The company countered this, stressing it remains committed to its core mission of empowering creators in the metaverse. It said restructuring reflects the adoption of AI in game development and operations to make teams leaner and more efficient, not a shift away from its virtual world.
Earlier coverage highlighted The Sandbox’s decline since the metaverse boom of 2021–2022. The company responded by pointing to continued integration with Animoca Brands and partnerships with hundreds of major brands. It emphasized that $SAND, LANDs, NFTs, and all ecosystem assets remain unchanged.
SAND, the native token of The Sandbox, was changing hands at $0.28 at press time, down about 97% from its $8.4 peak in November 2021, CoinGecko data shows.
Editor’s note: This article has been updated to include new information provided by The Sandbox through its official X account.
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