The Reason Why GoPro Stopped Making Drones

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GoPro is responsible for the rise of the action camera market and is still one of the most popular action camera brands today. Its products, like the latest GoPro Mission 1 Pro, are able to capture great photos under the most adventurous conditions. But do you remember when GoPro made drones? The GoPro Karma drone launched in 2016 and was discontinued in 2018, with no successor ever to be seen. In an interview with TechCrunch, GoPro CEO Nick Woodman revealed exactly why the company stopped making drones. There was a disastrous "domino effect" for the company resulting from the poor sales of the Hero5 Black action camera that was also released in 2016.

"If Hero5 Black had sold to expectations at its original $399 pricing, we would not have had to change prices across all of our cameras, and we would not have had to do a restructuring and we would have been able to continue investing in programs like our next generation Karma," Woodman explained. His reference to a restructuring was a gentle way of phrasing the situation; GoPro laid off over 250 positions — one-fifth of its workforce at the time — back in 2018 following the catastrophic situation surrounding the Karma drone.

GoPro's history is full of soaring highs and terrifying lows. In June 2026, GoPro (link will download a PDF to your device) warned its investors that there was "substantial doubt about the company's ability to continue" following a period of poor finances and another round of massive layoffs. With conditions like this being relatively common for the company, it makes sense that it wouldn't risk another shot at the drone market. The GoPro Karma drone is a touchstone example of an overhyped tech gadget that failed on arrival, and its circumstances dealt a long-lasting blow to the company.

Another Karma controversy could quite possibly put GoPro in the grave once and for all. On the other hand, things are looking up for GoPro after talks of a fruitful merger with Starman Optical and the release of a promising new lineup of products. Travelers and outdoor adventurers still love using GoPro products — so much so that there's a wide range of useful accessories that GoPro owners swear by. If positive factors continue to align, maybe GoPro could succeed at breaking into the drone market after all.