Niantic Inc. has sold its Pokémon Go, Pikmin Bloom, and Monster Hunter Now franchises, along with their development teams, to Scopely, a Saudi-owned gaming company, for $3.5 billion. An additional $350 million in cash brings the total deal value to approximately $3.85 billion for Niantic equity holders.
Scopely, a subsidiary of Savvy Games, highlighted the acquired games' success: over 30 million monthly active users (MAUs), over 20 million weekly active users, and over $1 billion in revenue in 2024. Pokémon Go, a top 10 mobile game since its launch, boasts over 100 million unique players in 2024.
Niantic emphasized that its game teams will continue building on existing long-term plans under Scopely's ownership, ensuring the games' continued growth. The company stated that players can expect ongoing investment and the same teams creating the experiences they love.
Pokémon Go's chief, Ed Wu, reassured players, emphasizing Scopely's admiration for the community and team. He expressed confidence that Pokémon Go will thrive under Scopely's ownership, continuing its development and focus on the core gameplay experience. He highlighted the continued collaboration with The Pokémon Company and the retention of the existing Pokémon Go team. Wu detailed Scopely's support for the game's ongoing features, including Raid Battles, Go Battle League, and live events like Pokémon Go Fest. He stressed Scopely's commitment to the game's long-term vision and its real-world community.
Niantic is also spinning off its geospatial AI business into Niantic Spatial Inc., receiving $250 million in investment from Scopely and Niantic itself. Niantic Spatial will continue to operate Ingress Prime and Peridot.
