Niantic Inc. has officially announced the sale of its key mobile games, including Pokémon Go, Pikmin Bloom, and Monster Hunter Now, along with their development teams, to Scopely, a company owned by Saudi investment firm Savvy Games, for a staggering $3.5 billion. The deal also includes an additional $350 million in cash distribution, bringing the total value to approximately $3.85 billion for Niantic's equity holders.
Scopely highlighted in a press release that Niantic's gaming division boasts over 30 million monthly active users (MAUs) and more than 20 million weekly active users, generating over $1 billion in revenue in 2024 alone. Pokémon Go, in particular, remains a flagship title, consistently ranking among the top 10 mobile games since its launch and attracting over 100 million unique players in 2024.
Niantic emphasized the long-term vision for its games, stating, “This partnership ensures that our games have the long-term support needed to be 'forever games' that will endure for future generations.” They reassured players that the games, apps, services, and events they love will continue to receive investment and be developed by the same dedicated teams.
In a separate statement, Pokémon Go’s chief, Ed Wu, addressed community concerns about the game's future. Wu, an original engineer on the Pokémon Go codebase and a key figure during its monumental 2016 launch, expressed confidence in the partnership with Scopely. He believes that Pokémon Go will not only continue to thrive but also flourish into its second decade and beyond, maintaining its mission of discovering Pokémon in the real world and inspiring exploration.
Wu highlighted Scopely's commitment to supporting Niantic's mission and ongoing efforts to enhance the Pokémon Go experience. He assured fans that the entire Pokémon Go team would remain intact, continuing to develop and expand the game with features like Raid Battles, Go Battle League, Routes, and live events like Pokémon Go Fest.
Wu also noted Scopely’s approach of empowering game teams to pursue their inspired roadmaps, which aligns with Niantic's creative vision. He emphasized the importance of their continued partnership with The Pokémon Company and the focus on real-world community engagement, which Scopely fully supports.
Wu concluded with optimism about the future, saying, “I have so much gratitude for the incredible joy of serving hundreds of millions of Trainers in our real-world community for the past nine years, and I truly believe the best is yet to come.”
In other news, Niantic is spinning off its geospatial AI business into a new entity called Niantic Spatial Inc., to accelerate growth. This new company will continue to operate Ingress Prime and Peridot. Scopely is investing $50 million in Niantic Spatial, with an additional $200 million coming from Niantic itself.
